you
know of it? Where are they?" He had him by the arm, shaking him like a
bag, and the boy's words, if he had any, were jolted forth in
inarticulate murmurs. The Doctor, with a revulsion from his own violence,
set him down again. He observed Anastasie in tears. "Anastasie," he said,
in quite an altered voice, "compose yourself, command your feelings. I
would not have you give way to passion like the vulgar. This--this
trifling accident must be lived down.--Jean-Marie, bring me my smaller
medicine-chest. A gentle laxative is indicated."

And he dosed the family all round, leading the way himself with a double
quantity. The wretched Anastasie, who had never been ill in the whole
course of her existence, and whose soul recoiled from remedies, wept
floods of tears as she sipped, and shuddered, and protested, and then
was bullied and shouted at until she sipped again. As for Jean-Marie, he
took his portion down with stoicism.

"I have given him a less amount," observed the Doctor, "his youth
protecting him against emotion. And now that we have thus parried any
morbid consequences, let us reason."

"I am so cold," wailed Anastasie.

"Cold!" cried the Doctor. "I give thanks to God that I am made of fierier
material. Why, madam, a blow like this would set a frog into a
transpiration. If you are cold, you can retire; and, by the way, you
might throw me down my trousers. It is chilly for the legs."

"Oh no!" protested Anastasie; "I will stay with you."

"Nay, madam, you shall not suffer for your devotion," said the Doctor. "I
will myself fetch you a shawl." And he went upstairs and returned more
fully clad and with an armful of wraps for the shivering Anastasie. "And
now," he resumed, "to investigate this crime. Let us proceed by
induction. Anastasie, do you know anything that can help us?" Anastasie
knew nothing. "Or you, Jean-Marie?"

"Not I," replied the boy steadily.

"Good," returned the Doctor. "We shall now turn our attention to the
material evidences. (I was born to be a detective; I have the eye and the
systematic spirit.) First, violence has been employed. The door was
broken open; and it may be observed, in passing, that the lock was dear
indeed at what I paid for it: a crow to pluck with Master Goguelat.
Second, here is the instrument employed, one of our own table-knives, one
of our best, my dear; which seems to indicate no preparation on the part
of the gang--if gang it was. Thirdly, I observe that nothing