much honored to-night."

"Excuse me, young gentlemen," observed the official, somewhat stiffly,
but with a polite inclination of his lank body, "but I must be
permitted to make an examination here--yes, I know; but Monsieur le
Commissaire is rather--rather--you know--they will wait until I see
for myself where the error is. Yes, error, I'm sure."

During this introduction the keen little fishy eyes searched the
table, the floor, the walls, the cot in the corner whereon Massard now
sat seriously erect, and, incidentally, every person in the room. They
wound up this lightning tour of inspection by resting with the last
equivocal sentence upon some object on the floor under the table.

"Pardon me," he added, stepping briskly forward and grasping the lamp.

He brought the light to bear upon the object which had appeared to
fascinate him, the wondering eyes of the three students becoming
riveted to the same spot.

It was a wisp of light flaxen hair just tinted with gold.

The inspector replaced the lamp upon the dissecting-table and examined
the lock of hair. It was still moist, and there were distinct traces
of blood where it had been cut off from the head.

"Ah!"

The world of satisfaction in that ejaculation was not communicated to
the students, who were speechless with astonishment.

"Yes," said the inspector, as if he were continuing an unimportant
conversation, "Monsieur le Commissaire is rather--rather--show me the
rest of the place, please," and without waiting for formal permission
proceeded, lamp in hand, on his own account.

"So! One sleeps here?"

"Occasionally, monsieur."

He looked under the cot.

"Then you must have the rest of the bed; where is it?"

His quick eye had discovered the inconsistency of the mattress,--as,
indeed, Massard himself had already done,--and his fertile brain
jumped at once from cause to effect.

"Probably to wrap the body in. Where's the sink?"

In the little antechamber, redolent with the peculiar and
indescribable odor of human flesh and its preservatives, was a long
ice-chest, a big iron sink, an old-fashioned range, pots, pans,
shelves with bottles, etc.

Massard hurriedly opened the chest, as if half expecting to see a
human body there.

But Inspector Loup scarcely glanced at this receptacle for "subjects."
His eyes sought and found the metal basin such as doctors use during
operations.

The basin was still wet, and minute spots of red appeared upon its