ion had just
crossed Lecoq's mind. Pushing a chair in front of the prisoner, and
spreading a newspaper over it, he said: "Will you place your foot
there?"

The man did not comply with the request.

"It is useless to resist," exclaimed the governor, "we are in force."

The prisoner delayed no longer. He placed his foot on the chair, as
he had been ordered, and Lecoq, with the aid of a knife, proceeded to
remove the fragments of mud that adhered to the skin.

Anywhere else so strange and grotesque a proceeding would have excited
laughter, but here, in this gloomy chamber, the anteroom of the assize
court, an otherwise trivial act is fraught with serious import. Nothing
astonishes; and should a smile threaten to curve one's lips, it is
instantly repressed.

All the spectators, from the governor of the prison to the keepers, had
witnessed many other incidents equally absurd; and no one thought of
inquiring the detective's motive. This much was known already; that the
prisoner was trying to conceal his identity. Now it was necessary to
establish it, at any cost, and Lecoq had probably discovered some means
of attaining this end.

The operation was soon concluded; and Lecoq swept the dust off the paper
into the palm of his hand. He divided it into two parts, enclosing one
portion in a scrap of paper, and slipping it into his own pocket. With
the remainder he formed a package which he handed to the governor,
saying: "I beg you, sir, to take charge of this, and to seal it up here,
in presence of the prisoner. This formality is necessary, so that by and
by he may not pretend that the dust has been changed."

The governor complied with the request, and as he placed this "bit
of proof" (as he styled it) in a small satchel for safe keeping, the
prisoner shrugged his shoulders with a sneering laugh. Still, beneath
this cynical gaiety Lecoq thought he could detect poignant anxiety.
Chance owed him the compensation of this slight triumph; for previous
events had deceived all his calculations.

The prisoner did not offer the slightest objection when he was ordered
to undress, and to exchange his soiled and bloodstained garments for
the clothing furnished by the Government. Not a muscle of his face moved
while he submitted his person to one of those ignominous examinations
which make the blood rush to the forehead of the lowest criminal. It was
with perfect indifference that he allowed an inspector to comb his hair
and beard,