s the passage) for a
light, and then came and sat down at the table beside Master Claude
with an old Chronicle, out of which she read; whilst the old man,
following the train of his thoughts, first sat down in his easy-chair,
and then stood up again, and paced softly and slowly up and down the
room in order to bring on weariness and sleepiness. All remained quiet
and still until after midnight. Then they heard quick steps above them
and a heavy fall like some big weight being thrown on the floor, and
then soon after a muffled groaning. A peculiar feeling of uneasiness
and dreadful suspense took possession of them both. It was horror at
the bloody deed which had just been committed, which passed out beside
them. The bright morning came and revealed to the light what had been
begun in the hours of darkness."

"But," interrupted De Scuderi, "but by all the saints, tell me what
motive for this diabolical deed you can find in any of the
circumstances which I just now repeated to you at such length?" "Hm!"
rejoined La Regnie, "Cardillac was not poor--he had some valuable
stones in his possession." "But would not his daughter inherit
everything?" continued De Scuderi. "You are forgetting that Olivier was
to be Cardillac's son-in-law." "But perhaps he had to share or only do
the murderous deed for others," said La Regnie. "Share? do a murderous
deed for others?" asked De Scuderi, utterly astounded. "I must tell
you, Mademoiselle," continued the President, "that Olivier's blood
would long ago have been shed in the Place Greve, had not his crime
been bound up with that deeply enshrouded mystery which has hitherto
exercised such a threatening sway over all Paris. It is evident that
Olivier belongs to that accursed band of miscreants who, laughing to
scorn all the watchfulness, and efforts, and strict investigations of
the courts, have been able to carry out their plans so safely and
unpunished. Through him all shall--all must be cleared up. Cardillac's
wound is precisely similar to those borne by all the persons who have
been found murdered and robbed in the streets and houses. But the most
decisive fact is that since the time Olivier Brusson has been under
arrest all these murders and robberies have ceased The streets are now
as safe by night as they are by day. These things are proof enough that
Olivier probably was at the head of this band of assassins. As yet he
will not confess it; but there are means of making him speak agai