hat here they caught up
with her and gave her a finishing blow."

Was this really Plantat's opinion, or did he only report the
morning's theory? M. Lecoq could not tell.

"According to my calculations," he said, "the countess could not
have fled, but was brought here already dead, or logic is not logic.
However, let us examine this spot carefully."

He knelt down and studied the sand on the path, the stagnant water,
and the reeds and water-plants. Then going along a little distance,
he threw a stone, approaching again to see the effect produced on
the mud. He next returned to the house, and came back again under
the willows, crossing the lawn, where were still clearly visible
traces of a heavy burden having been dragged over it. Without the
least respect for his pantaloons, he crossed the lawn on all-fours,
scrutinizing the smallest blades of grass, pulling away the thick
tufts to see the earth better, and minutely observing the direction
of the broken stems. This done, he said:

"My conclusions are confirmed. The countess was carried across here."

"Are you sure of it?" asked Plantat.

There was no mistaking the old man's hesitation this time; he was
clearly undecided, and leaned on the other's judgment for guidance.

"There can be no error, possibly."

The detective smiled, as he added:

"Only, as two heads are better than one, I will ask you to listen
to me, and then, you will tell me what you think."

M. Lecoq had, in searching about, picked up a little flexible stick,
and while he talked, he used it to point out this and that object,
like the lecturer at the panorama.

"No," said he, "Madame de Tremorel did not fly from her murderers.
Had she been struck down here, she would have fallen violently; her
weight, therefore, would have made the water spirt to some distance,
as well as the mud; and we should certainly have found some splashes."

"But don't you think that, since morning, the sun--"

"The sun would have absorbed the water; but the stain of dry mud
would have remained. I have found nothing of the sort anywhere.
You might object, that the water and mud would have spirted right
and left; but just look at the tufts of these flags, lilies, and
stems of cane--you find a light dust on every one. Do you find
the least trace of a drop of water? No. There was then no splash,
therefore no violent fall; therefore the countess was not killed
here; therefore her body was brought here, and carefully depos