and so out of breath from having come up the stairs four at
a time, that he could scarcely speak.

"Sir," said he, "viscount, be quick, fly and hide, save yourself, they
are here, it is the--"

A commissary of police, wearing his sash, appeared at the door. He
was followed by a number of men, among whom M. Tabaret could be seen,
keeping as much out of sight as possible.

The commissary approached Albert.

"You are," he asked, "Guy Louis Marie Albert de Rheteau de Commarin?"

"Yes, sir."

The commissary placed his hand upon him, while pronouncing the usual
formula: "M. de Commarin, in the name of the law I arrest you."

"Me, sir? me?"

Albert, aroused suddenly from his painful dreams, seemed hardly to
comprehend what was taking place, seemed to ask himself,--"Am I really
awake? Is not this some hideous nightmare?"

He threw a stupid, astonished look upon the commissary of police, his
men, and M. Tabaret, who had not taken his eyes off him.

"Here is the warrant," added the commissary, unfolding the paper.

Mechanically Albert glanced over it.

"Claudine assassinated!" he cried.

Then very low, but distinct enough to be heard by the commissary, by one
of his officers, and by old Tabaret, he added,--"I am lost!"

While the commissary was making inquiries, which immediately follow
all arrests, the police officers spread through the apartments, and
proceeded to a searching examination of them. They had received orders
to obey M. Tabaret, and the old fellow guided them in their search,
made them ransack drawers and closets, and move the furniture to look
underneath or behind. They seized a number of articles belonging to the
viscount,--documents, manuscripts, and a very voluminous correspondence;
but it was with especial delight that M. Tabaret put his hands on
certain articles, which were carefully described in their proper order
in the official report:

1. In the ante-room, hung with all sorts of weapons, a broken foil was
found behind a sofa. This foil has a peculiar handle, and is unlike
those commonly sold. It is ornamented with the count's coronet, and
the initials A. C. It has been broken at about the middle; and the end
cannot be found. When questioned, the viscount declared that he did not
know what had become of the missing end.

2. In the dressing-room, a pair of black cloth trousers was discovered
still damp, and bearing stains of mud or rather of mould. All one side
is smeared with greenish mo