importance, and appear quite overjoyed at the news he has
obtained at the office of the mayor. He will say that the inquiry at
Vendome is over, and that it will be best to return to Paris at once. Of
course, you will make no objection. You will permit the Duke to make a
handsome present to Lorgelin and Frejot; but take care not to leave him
behind you. I advise you to regain Paris without a moment's delay. The
wily Perpignan, on your return, will at once take you to the head police
office, where Vigoureux will have left his papers, like other men of his
profession. If there is any difficulty in obtaining a sight of them, the
Duke de Champdoce will act as a talisman. You will then discover that
in 1864, the man Vigoureux was sentenced to a term of imprisonment for
disorderly conduct, and that he now keeps a wine-shop at the corner of
the Rue Depleux."

"Stop a bit," said Catenac, "and let me take down the address."

"When you go there, you will recognize Vigoureux by the loss of his
finger. He will at once admit that the lad followed him, and remained in
the troupe for ten months. He was a good enough lad, but as grand as a
peacock, and as lazy as a dormouse. He made great friends with an old
Alsatian, called Fritz, who was the conductor of the orchestra, and
by-and-by both were so fond of each other, that one day they went off in
each other's company. Now you want to know what has become of Fritz? I
know Vigoureux will get tired of this prolonged string of questions, and
behave violently; then you will threaten him for having carried off
a youth of tender years, and he will calm down, and become as mild as
mother's milk, and will promise to gain information for you. In a week
he will give the information that Fritz is to be found at the Hospital
Magloire."

Absolutely dumb with surprise, the audience listened to these strange
assertions, which dovetailed so exactly into each other, and seemed to
have been the work of years of research.

"Fritz," continued Mascarin, "is a sly old dog. You will find an old,
rickety, blue-eyed man at the hospital, and remember to tell the Duke
de Champdoce that he must not put too much faith in him. This wily old
Alsatian will tell you of all the sacrifices he made for the dear lad.
He will tell you that he often went without his beer and tobacco in
order to pay for the music lessons that he forced the boy to take. He
will tell you that he wanted to get him into the Government School o