n pairs, putting aside the smallest branches along
the water.

Renardet said to the judge:

"How does it happen that this wretch has concealed or carried away the
clothes, and has thus left the body exposed in the open air and visible
to everyone?"

The other, sly and knowing, answered:

"Ha! Ha! Perhaps a dodge? This crime has been committed either by a
brute or by a crafty blackguard. In any case we'll easily succeed in
finding him."

The rolling of a vehicle made them turn their heads round. It was the
deputy magistrate, the doctor and the registrar of the court who had
arrived in their turn. They resumed their searches, all chatting in an
animated fashion.

Renardet said suddenly:

"Do you know that I am keeping you to lunch with me?"

Everyone smilingly accepted the invitation, and the examining
magistrate, finding that the case of little Louise Roque was quite
enough to bother about for one day, turned towards the Mayor:

"I can have the body brought to your house, can I not? You have a room
in which you can keep it for me till this evening."

The other got confused, and stammered:

"Yes--no--no. To tell the truth, I prefer that it should not come into
my house on account of--on account of my servants who are already
talking about ghosts in--in my tower, in the Fox's tower. You know--I
could no longer keep a single one. No--I prefer not to have it in my
house."

The magistrate began to smile:

"Good! I am going to get it carried off at once to Roug, for the legal
examination."

Turning towards the door:

"I can make use of your trap can I not?"

"Yes, certainly."

Everybody came back to the place where the corpse lay. La Roque now,
seated beside her daughter, had caught hold of her head, and was staring
right before her, with a wandering listless eye.

The two doctors endeavored to lead her away, so that she might not
witness the dead girl's removal; but she understood at once what they
wanted to do, and, flinging herself on the body, she seized it in both
arms. Lying on top of the corpse, she exclaimed:

"You shall not have it--'tis mine--'tis mine now. They have killed her
on me, and I want to keep her--you shall not have her--!"

All the men, affected and not knowing how to act, remained standing
around her. Renardet fell on his knees, and said to her:

"Listen, La Roque, it is necessary in order to find out who killed her.
Without this, it could not be found out. We must make a sea