in search of the persons for whom he had sent.

When he stood beneath the trees, he stopped, took off his hat, and wiped
his forehead as Mederic had done; for the burning sun was falling in
fiery rain upon the ground. Then the Mayor resumed his journey, stopped
once more, and retraced his steps. Suddenly, stooping down, he steeped
his handkerchief in the stream that glided at his feet, and stretched it
round his head, under his hat. Drops of water flowed along his temples
over his ears always purple over his strong red neck, and made their
way, one after the other, under his white shirt-collar.

As nobody yet appeared he began tapping with his foot, then he called
out--

"Hallo! Hallo!"

A voice at his right, answered:

"Hallo! Hallo!"

And the doctor appeared under the trees. He was a thin little man, an
ex-military surgeon, who passed in the neighborhood for a very skillful
practitioner. He limped, having been wounded while in the service, and
had to use a stick to assist him in walking.

Next came the steward and the Mayor's secretary, who, having been sent
for at the same time, arrived together. They looked scared, and hurried
forward out of breath, walking and trotting in turn in order to hasten
their progress, and moving their arms up and down so vigorously that
they seemed to do more work with them than with their legs.

Renardet said to the doctor:

"You know what the trouble is about?"

"Yes, a child found dead in the wood by Mederic."

"That's quite correct. Come on."

They walked on side by side, followed by the two men.

Their steps made no noise on the moss, their eyes were gazing downward
right in front of them.

The doctor hastened his steps, interested by the discovery. As soon as
they were near the corpse, he bent down to examine it without touching
it. He had put on a pair of glasses, as when one is looking at some
curious object, and turned round very quietly.

He said without rising up:

"Violated and assassinated, as we are going to prove presently. This
little girl moreover, is almost a woman--look at her throat."

Her two breasts, already nearly full-developed, fell over her chest,
relaxed by death.

The doctor lightly drew away the handkerchief which covered her face. It
looked black, frightful, the tongue protruding, the eyes bloodshot. He
went on:

"Faith, she was strangled the moment the deed was done."

He felt her neck:

"Strangled with the hands without leaving