urned away his head; he did not wish them to read in his eyes how
perfectly he understood the whole game.

"Seeing this," pursued Gevrol, "I called two men and asked them to
aid me in raising the poor devil. We went up to him; he had apparently
fallen asleep: we shook him--we made him sit up; we told him that he
could not remain there, but he immediately flew into a furious rage. He
swore at us, threatened us, and began fighting us. And, on my word, we
had to take him to the station-house, and leave him there to recover
from the effects of his drunken debauch."

"Did you shut him up in the same cell with the murderer?" inquired
Lecoq.

"Naturally. You know very well that there are only two cages in the
station-house at the barriere--one for men and the other for women;
consequently--"

The commissary seemed thoughtful. "Ah! that's very unfortunate," he
stammered; "and there is no remedy."

"Excuse me, there is one," observed Gevrol, "I can send one of my men to
the station-house with an order to detain the drunken man--"

Lecoq interposed with a gesture: "Trouble lost," he said coldly. "If
this individual is an accomplice, he has got sober by now--rest assured
of that, and is already far away."

"Then what is to be done?" asked the inspector, with an ironical air.
"May one be permitted to ask the advice of Monsieur Lecoq."

"I think chance offered us a splendid opportunity, and we did not know
how to seize it; and that the best thing we can do now is to give over
mourning, and prepare to profit by the next opportunity that presents
itself."

Gevrol was, however, determined to send one of his men to the
station-house; and it was not until the messenger had started that Lecoq
commenced the reading of his report. He read it rapidly, refraining
as much as possible from placing the decisive proofs in strong relief,
reserving these for his own benefit; but so strong was the logic of his
deductions that he was frequently interrupted by approving remarks from
the commissary and the two physicians.

Gevrol, who alone represented the opposition, shrugged his shoulders
till they were well-nigh dislocated, and grew literally green with
jealousy.

"I think that you alone, young man, have judged correctly in this
affair," said the commissary when Lecoq had finished reading. "I may be
mistaken; but your explanations have made me alter my opinion concerning
the murderer's attitude while I was questioning him (which was on