sponsibility to Perpignan, but make sure that the Duke comes with
you. Ask the denizens a series of questions which you have prepared
beforehand, such as 'My friends, we are in search of a boy. A reward of
ten thousand francs is offered to any one who will put us on his track.
He must have left these parts in August, 1856, and some of you may have
seen him.'"

Here Catenac stopped Mascarin.

"Wait a moment. Your own words are excellent; I will write them down."

"All Monday," continued Mascarin, "you will not make much progress,
and for the next few days it will be the same, but on Saturday prepare
yourself for a great surprise; for on that day Frejot will take you to a
large, lonely farmhouse, on the shores of a lake. This farm is held by
a man named Lorgelin, who cultivates it with the assistance of his wife
and his two sons. You will find these worthy people at dinner. They will
offer you some refreshment, and you will accept. At the next word you
utter you will find that they will glance at each other in a meaning
manner, and the wife will exclaim, 'Blessed Virgin! Surely the gentleman
is speaking of the poor lad we have so often talked about.'"

As Mascarin went on describing his arrangements, his whole form seemed
to dilate, and his face shone with the knowledge of mastery and power.
His voice was so clear and his manner so full of authority and command,
that it carried conviction to the minds of all those who were seated
listening to him. He spoke of what would happen as if he was dealing
with an absolute certainty, and went on with such wonderful lucidity and
force of reasoning that they seemed to be absolutely real.

"Oh! the farmer's wife will say this, will she?" demanded Catenac, in a
tone of the utmost surprise.

"Yes, this, and nothing more. Then the husband will explain that they
found the poor lad half dead in a ditch by the side of the road, and
that they took him home, and did what they could for him; and will add,
this was in the beginning of September, 1856. You will offer to read him
your description of the lad, but he will volunteer his own, which you
will find exactly to tally with the one you have. Then Lorgelin will
tell you what an excellent lad he was, and how the farm seemed quite
another place as long as he remained there. All the family will join
in singing his praises--he was so good-tempered, so obliging, and
at thirteen he could write like a lawyer's clerk. And then they will
produ