of one of the fingers."

"Was that sufficient?"

"Yes, and no; such an impression is something; but there is better than
that! The thief must have given the neck a violent squeeze with his
hands, consequently there is a complete impression of the hand ... that
I had to get...."

Fandor instinctively put his hand to his neck as if he were squeezing
it. He said:

"Are such impressions imperceptible?"

"Yes; to the eye, but not to the photographing apparatus. It is
thoroughly established that the pattern formed by the innumerable lines
which furrow the fleshy part of our fingers is as peculiarly
characteristic of each individual as the form of his nose, of his ears,
or the colour of his eyes. The curves or rings, the various forms taken
by these lines already exist in the newly born and never change to the
day of his death. Even in case of a burn, if the skin grows again, the
ridges reappear exactly as they were before the accident. Look you, one
can obtain by this method--this test--such results as you would never
dream of. For example, by taking these imprints I obtained in the early
hours of to-day, as a basis, I can tell you, with almost absolute
accuracy, the height of the individual...."

"This is marvellous!" cried Fandor. "The service your department renders
then is to abolish legal blunders?"

"That is so. Every individual identified, is identified plainly,
irrefutably. Unfortunately, we cannot always obtain perfect imprints on
the spot where the crime is committed."

"But this night?"

"Ah, as I told you, the impressions were most satisfactory. I have the
thief's hand--the whole of it! I will even go so far as to declare that
the fellow who committed the crime has already been through my hands. I
recognise that hand! You shall see, whether or no I have made a
mistake!"...

Bertillon pressed a bell, and asked the official who answered it:

"Have you identified the imprints I sent you just now?"

"Yes, sir. This man has already been measured here. It is register
9200."

Bertillon turned to Fandor:

"You see, I was not mistaken! All I have to do is to turn up my
alphabetical index, and for this very month, for the number is a recent
one, and I shall know the name of the old offender--he must be one, as
he is catalogued here--who has committed this assault."

Whilst speaking, Monsieur Bertillon was turning over the leaves of an
enormous register:

"Ah! Here is the 9200 series!..."

Suddenly th