e of whom were found
nearly every morning lying either in the streets or in the houses, had
all one and the same fatal wound,--a dagger-thrust in the heart,
killing, according to the judgment of the surgeons, so instantaneously
and so surely that the victim would drop down like a stone, unable to
utter a sound. Who was there at the voluptuous court of Louis XIV. who
was not entangled in some clandestine intrigue, and stole to his
mistress at a late hour, often carrying a valuable present about him?
The robbers, as if they were in league with spirits, knew almost
exactly when anything of this sort was on foot. Often the unfortunate
did not reach the house where he expected to meet with the reward of
his passion; often he fell on the threshold, nay, at the very chamber
door of his mistress, who was horrified at finding the bloody corpse.

In vain did Argenson, the Minister of Police, order the arrest of every
person from amongst the populace against whom there was the least
suspicion; in vain did La Regnie rage and try to extort confessions; in
vain did they strengthen their watch and their patrols;--they could not
find a trace of the evil-doers. The only thing that did to a certain
extent avail was to take the precaution of going armed to the teeth and
have a torch carried before one; and yet instances were not wanting in
which the servant was annoyed by stones thrown at him, whilst at the
same moment his master was murdered and robbed. It was especially
remarkable that, in spite of all inquiries in every place where traffic
in jewellery was in any way possible, not the smallest specimen of the
stolen ornaments ever came to light, and so in this way also no clue
was found which might have been followed.

Desgrais was furious that the miscreants should thus baffle all his
cunning. The quarter of the town in which he happened to be stationed
was spared; whilst in the others, where nobody apprehended any evil,
these robberies and murders claimed their richest victims.

Desgrais hit upon the ruse of making several Desgrais one after the
other, so exactly alike in gait, posture, speech, figure, and face,
that the myrmidons of the police themselves did not know which was the
real Desgrais. Meanwhile, at the risk of his own life, he used to watch
alone in the most secret haunts and lairs of crime, and follow at a
distance first this man and then that, who at his own instance carried
some valuable jewellery about his person. T