of Sauveterre shook his head.

"That is ingenious, I admit; and I confess, in all humility, that
I could not have suggested any thing as good. But--for there is a
but--your story sins by its very simplicity. The prosecution will say,
'If that is the truth, why did not M. de Boiscoran say so at once? And
what need was there to consult his counsel?'"

M. Folgat showed in his face that he was making a great effort to meet
the objection. After a while, he replied,--

"I know but too well that that is the weak spot in our armor,--a very
weak spot, too; for it is quite clear, that, if M. de Boiscoran had
given this explanation on the day of his arrest, he would have been
released instantly. But what better can be found? What else can be
found? However, this is only a rough sketch of my plan, and I have never
put it into words yet till now. With your assistance, M. Magloire, with
the aid of Mechinet, to whom I am already indebted for very valuable
information, with the aid of all our friends, in fine, I cannot help
hoping that I may be able to improve my plan by adding some mysterious
secret which may help to explain M. de Boiscoran's reticence. I thought,
at one time, of calling in politics, and to pretend, that, on account of
the peculiar views of which he is suspected, M. de Boiscoran preferred
keeping his relations with the priest at Brechy a secret."

"Oh, that would have been most unfortunate!" broke in M. Magloire.
"We are not only religious at Sauveterre, we are devout, my good
colleague,--excessively devout."

"And I have given up that idea."

Jacques, who had till now kept silent and motionless, now raised himself
suddenly to his full height, and cried, in a voice of concentrated
rage,--

"Is it not too bad, is it not atrocious, that we should be compelled
to concoct a falsehood? And I am innocent! What more could be done if I
were a murderer?"

Jacques was perfectly right: it was monstrous that he should be
absolutely forced to conceal the truth. But his counsel took no notice
of his indignation: they were too deeply absorbed in examining minutely
their system of defence.

"Let us go on to the other points of the accusation," said M. Magloire.

"If my version is accepted," replied M. Folgat, "the rest follows as a
matter of course. But will they accept it? On the day on which he was
arrested, M. de Boiscoran, trying to find an excuse for having been
out that night, has said that he had gone to see his w