wed wedlock, could not possibly be expected to
tie her bonnet strings in less than a quarter of an hour. Hence, Lecoq's
sojourn behind the scaffolding of the half-built house proved rather
longer than he had expected, and at the thought that May might arrive at
any moment he fairly trembled with anxiety. How much was he in advance
of the fugitive? Half an hour, perhaps! And he had accomplished only
half his task.

At last, however, the coquettish landlady made her appearance as radiant
as a spring morning. She probably wished to make up for the time she had
spent over her toilet, for as she turned the corner she began to run.
Lecoq waited till she was out of sight, and then bounding from his place
of concealment, he burst into the Hotel de Mariembourg like a bombshell.

Fritz, the Bavarian lad, must have been warned that the house was to be
left in his sole charge for some hours; for having comfortably installed
himself in his mistress's own particular armchair, with his legs resting
on another one, he had already commenced to fall asleep.

"Wake up!" shouted Lecoq; "wake up!"

At the sound of this voice, which rang like a trumpet blast, Fritz
sprang to his feet, frightened half out of his wits.

"You see that I am an agent of the Prefecture of Police," said the
visitor, showing his card. "Now, if you wish to avoid all sorts of
disagreeable things, the least of which will be a sojourn in prison, you
must obey me."

The boy trembled in every limb. "Yes, mein Herr--Monsieur, I mean--I
will obey you," he stammered. "But what am I to do?"

"Oh, very little. A man is coming here in a moment: you will know him by
his black clothes and his long beard. You must answer him word for word
as I tell you. And remember, if you make any mistake, you will suffer
for it."

"You may rely upon me, sir," replied Fritz. "I have an excellent
memory."

The prospect of imprisonment had terrified him into abject submission.
He spoke the truth; he would have been willing to say or do anything
just then. Lecoq profited by this disposition; and then clearly and
concisely gave the lad his instructions. "And now," added he, "I must
see and hear you. Where can I hide myself?"

Fritz pointed to a glass door. "In the dark room there, sir. By leaving
the door ajar you can hear and you can see everything through the
glass."

Without another word Lecoq darted into the room in question. Not a
moment too soon, however, for the bell of the oute