flash M. Paul bent toward the judge and said something in a low
tone.

"Ah, yes!" exclaimed Hauteville with a start of satisfaction. Then to
Groener: "How do you happen to know that this encounter took place on the
Champs Elysees?"

"Why--er--he said so just now," answered the other uneasily.

"I think not. Was the Champs Elysees mentioned, Jules?" he turned to the
clerk.

Jules looked back conscientiously through his notes and shook his head.
"Nothing has been said about the Champs Elysees."

"I must have imagined it," muttered the prisoner.

"Very clever of you, Groener," said the judge dryly, "to imagine the exact
street where the encounter took place. You couldn't have done better if you
had known it."

"You see what comes of talking without the advice of counsel," remarked
Maitre Cure in funereal tones.

"Rubbish!" flung back the prisoner. "This examination is of no importance,
anyhow."

"Of course not, of course not," purred the magistrate. Then, abruptly, his
whole manner changed.

"Groener," he said, and his voice rang sternly, "I've been patient with you
so far, I've tolerated your outrageous arrogance and impertinence, partly
to entrap you, as I have, and partly because I always give suspected
persons a certain amount of latitude at first. Now, my friend, you've had
your little fling and--it's my turn. We are coming to a part of this
examination that you will not find quite so amusing. In fact you will
realize before you have been twenty-four hours at the Sante that----"

"I'm not going to the Sante," interrupted Groener insolently.

Hauteville motioned to the guard. "Put the handcuffs on him."

The guard stepped forward and obeyed, handling the man none too tenderly.
Whereupon the accused once more lost his fine self-control and was swept
with furious anger.

"Mark my words, Judge Hauteville," he threatened fiercely, "you have
ordered handcuffs put on a prisoner _for the last time_."

"What do you mean by that?" demanded the magistrate.

[Illustration: "'You have ordered handcuffs put on a prisoner _for the last
time_.'"]

But almost instantly Groener had become calm again. "I beg your pardon," he
said, "I'm a little on my nerves. I'll behave myself now, I'm ready for
those things you spoke of that are not so amusing."

"That's better," approved Hauteville, but Coquenil, watching the prisoner,
shook his head doubtfully. There was something in this man's mind that they
did not understand