house might
easily have been uninhabited.

"By Jove!" muttered Lupin. "It's not the liveliest of residences. I
shall certainly not come here to end my days!"

But the clock struck three; one of the doors on the ground-floor opened;
and the figure of a woman appeared, a very slender figure wrapped in a
brown cloak.

The woman walked up and down for a few minutes and was at once
surrounded by birds, to which she scattered crumbs of bread. Then she
went down the stone steps that led to the middle lawn and skirted it,
taking the path on the right.

With his field-glass, Lupin could distinctly see her coming in his
direction. She was tall, fair-haired, graceful in appearance, and
seemed to be quite a young girl. She walked with a sprightly step,
looking at the pale December sun and amusing herself by breaking the
little dead twigs on the shrubs along the road.

She had gone nearly two thirds of the distance that separated her from
Lupin when there came a furious sound of barking and a huge dog, a
colossal Danish boarhound, sprang from a neighbouring kennel and stood
erect at the end of the chain by which it was fastened.

The girl moved a little to one side, without paying further attention to
what was doubtless a daily incident. The dog grew angrier than ever,
standing on its legs and dragging at its collar, at the risk of
strangling itself.

Thirty or forty steps farther, yielding probably to an impulse of
impatience, the girl turned round and made a gesture with her hand. The
great Dane gave a start of rage, retreated to the back of its kennel and
rushed out again, this time unfettered. The girl uttered a cry of mad
terror. The dog was covering the space between them, trailing its broken
chain behind it.

She began to run, to run with all her might, and screamed out
desperately for help. But the dog came up with her in a few bounds.

She fell, at once exhausted, giving herself up for lost. The animal was
already upon her, almost touching her.

At that exact moment a shot rang out. The dog turned a complete
somersault, recovered its feet, tore the ground and then lay down,
giving a number of hoarse, breathless howls, which ended in a dull moan
and an indistinct gurgling. And that was all.

"Dead," said Lupin, who had hastened up at once, prepared, if necessary,
to fire his revolver a second time.

The girl had risen and stood pale, still staggering. She looked in great
surprise at this man whom she did not