baret, who personally scoured the country round about in a
cabriolet drawn by a very swift horse. He must have acted with great
promptness; for, no matter where they went, he had been there before
them. He appeared to have under his orders a dozen men, four of whom at
least certainly belonged to the Rue de Jerusalem. All the detectives had
met him; and he had spoken to them. To one, he had said: "What the deuce
are you showing this photograph for? In less than no time you will have
a crowd of witnesses, who, to earn three francs, will describe some one
more like the portrait than the portrait itself."

He had met another on the high-road, and had laughed at him.

"You are a simple fellow," he cried out, "to hunt for a hiding man on
the high-way; look a little aside, and you may find him."

Again he had accosted two who were together in a cafe at Bougival, and
had taken them aside.

"I have him," he said to them. "He is a smart fellow; he came by
Chatois. Three people have seen him--two railway porters and a third
person whose testimony will be decisive, for she spoke to him. He was
smoking."

M. Daburon became so angry with old Tabaret, that he immediately started
for Bougival, firmly resolved to bring the too zealous man back to
Paris, and to report his conduct in the proper quarter. The journey,
however, was useless. M. Tabaret, the cabriolet, the swift horse, and
the twelve men had all disappeared, or at least were not to be found.

On returning home, greatly fatigued, and very much out of temper, the
investigating magistrate found the following telegram from the chief of
the detective force awaiting him; it was brief, but to the point:

"ROUEN, Sunday.

"The man is found. This evening we start for Paris. The most valuable
testimony. GEVROL."

CHAPTER XV.

On the Monday morning, at nine o'clock, M. Daburon was preparing to
start for the Palais de Justice, where he expected to find Gevrol and
his man, and perhaps old Tabaret. His preparations were nearly made,
when his servant announced that a young lady, accompanied by another
considerably older, asked to speak with him. She declined giving
her name, saying, however, that she would not refuse it, if it was
absolutely necessary in order to be received.

"Show them in," said the magistrate.

He thought it must be a relation of one or other of the prisoners, whose
case he had had in hand when this fresh crime occurred. He determined to
send her away