d those dreadful murders and robberies by night, and
so long escaped all traps laid for him. Somehow, I can't say how, a
strong feeling of suspicion was aroused in my mind against the old
reprobate when he brought me an ornament I had ordered and was so
visibly disturbed on giving it to me; and then he inquired particularly
for whom I wanted the ornament, and also questioned my valet in the
most artful way as to when I was in the habit of visiting a certain
lady. I had long before noticed that all the unfortunates who fell
victims to this abominable epidemic of murder and robbery bore one and
the same wound. I felt sure that the assassin had by practice grown
perfect in inflicting it, and that it must prove instantaneously fatal,
and upon this he relied implicitly. If it failed, then it would come to
a fight on equal terms. This led me to adopt a measure of precaution
which is so simple that I cannot comprehend why it did not occur to
others, who might then have safeguarded themselves against any
murderous assault that threatened them. I wore a light shirt of mail
under my tunic. Cardillac attacked me from behind. He laid hold upon me
with the strength of a giant, but the surely-aimed blow glanced aside
from the iron. That same moment I wrested myself free from his grasp,
and drove my dagger, which I held in readiness, into his heart." "And
you maintained silence?" asked De Scuderi; "you did not notify to the
tribunals what you had done?" "Permit me to remark," went on Miossens,
"permit me to remark, Mademoiselle, that such an announcement, if it
had not at once entailed disastrous results upon me, would at any rate
have involved me in a most detestable trial. Would La Regnie, who
ferrets out crime everywhere--would he have believed my unsupported
word if I had accused honest Cardillac, the pattern of piety and
virtue, of an attempted murder? What if the sword of justice had turned
its point against me?" "That would not have been possible," said De
Scuderi, "your birth--your rank"---- "Oh! remember Marshal de
Luxembourg, whose whim for having his horoscope cast by Le Sage brought
him under the suspicion of being a poisoner, and eventually into
the Bastille. No! by St. Denis! I would not risk my freedom for an
hour--not even the lappet of my ear--in the power of that madman La
Regnie, who only too well would like to have his knife at the throats
of all of us." "But do you know you are bringing innocent Brusson to
the scaf