e for this dear boy. Alas! that evil living should
have caused his early death!"

When he had finished laying out the body, he threw some little packets
into the fire which he professed to have found in the youth's pockets,
telling Martin, in order to support this assertion, that they contained
drugs suitable to this disgraceful malady.

He spent the night in the room with the corpse, as he had done in the
case of Madame de Lamotte, and the next day, Sunday, he sent Martin to
the parish church of St. Louis, to arrange for a funeral of the simplest
kind; telling him to fill up the certificate in the name of Beaupre,
born at Commercy, in Lorraine. He declined himself either to go to the
church or to appear at the funeral, saying that his grief was too great.
Martin, returning from the funeral, found him engaged in prayer. Derues
gave him the dead youth's clothes and departed, leaving some money to
be given to the poor of the parish, and for masses to be said for the
repose of the soul of the dead.

He arrived at home in the evening, found his wife entertaining some
friends; and told them he had just come from Chartres, where he had been
summoned on business. Everyone noticed his unusual air of satisfaction,
and he sang several songs during supper.

Having accomplished these two crimes, Derues did not remain idle. When
the murderer's part of his nature was at rest, the thief reappeared. His
extreme avarice now made him regret the expense' caused by the deaths of
Madame de Lamotte and her son, and he wished to recoup himself. Two
days after his return from Versailles, he ventured to present himself at
Edouard's school. He told the master that he had received a letter from
Madame de Lamotte, saying that she wished to keep her son, and asking
him to obtain Edouard's belongings. The schoolmaster's wife, who was
present, replied that that could not be; that Monsieur de Lamotte would
have known of his wife's intention; that she would not have taken such a
step without consulting him; and that only the evening before, they had
received a present of game from Buisson-Souef, with a letter in which
Monsieur de Lamotte entreated them to take great, care of his son.

"If what you say is true," she continued, "Madame de Lamotte is no
doubt acting on your advice in taking away her son. But I will write to
Buisson."

"You had better not do anything in the matter;" said Derues, turning to
the schoolmaster. "It is quite possible that