ir awful influence upon the wrongdoer was intensified by the
softness of his insinuating voice, that seemed to pry down into human
secrets as a sort of intellectual jimmy, delicate but powerful, and by
the noiselessness of his tread, which had the effect of creeping upon
his victim preparatory to the final spring.

In other words, Inspector Loup accomplished by moral force what others
believed possible only to physical intimidation. Yet those
law-breakers who had presumed too much upon his gentleness had
invariably come to grief, and Inspector Loup had reached his present
confidential position through thrilling experiences that had left his
lank body covered with honorable scars.

Inspector Loup was practically chief of the Secret System,--or,
rather, was director of that system under the eye of the Minister of
the Interior. He had served a dozen ministries. He had adopted the
great Fouche as a standard, and no government could change quicker
than Inspector Loup could. If he had been of the Napoleonic period he
might have rivalled his distinguished model. As it was, he did as well
as was possible with the weak governing material with which France was
afflicted.

The word "spy" being obnoxious in all languages and at all times and
in all places, the myriad smaller particles of the Secret System were
called "Agents."

The Paris "agent" of this class has, happily, no counterpart in the
American government. Our "detectives," or "plain clothes men," are
limited to legitimate police duties in the discovery of crime and
prosecution of criminals. They are known, are borne on pay-rolls,
usually have good character and some official standing.

The Paris "agent" is a widely different individual, speaking of that
branch not in uniform and not regularly employed on routine work. This
class is formed of government employes, all persons holding government
licenses of any kind, all keepers of public-houses and places of
public resort subject to government inspection, returned convicts
under police surveillance, criminals under suspension of sentence, all
persons under the eye of the police subject to arrest for one thing or
another, or who may be intimidated.

Add to these the regular service men and women, then bear in mind that
the names of all "agents" are secure from public knowledge, even of a
military court, that they can stab in the dark and never be held
accountable by their victims, and that appropriations are made in b