eche that morning would be satisfied
with a day's journey of nine leagues to Chateau du Loir, the last
convenient stopping-place before La Chartre. So I decided to stay at La
Chartre for the night, and give my horse the rest he needed.

At the inn I talked to everybody I could lay hold of, dragging in the
name of Montoire, all to no purpose, until I began to think the
inhabitants of Montoire must be the most stay-at-home people, and their
town the most unvisited town, in the world. In this manner, in the
kitchen after supper, I asked a fat bourgeois whether the better place
for me to break my next day's journey for dinner would be Troo or
Montoire.

"I know no better than you," he replied with a shrug.

"Pardon, Monsieur; I think you will find the better inn at Montoire,"
put in a voice behind my shoulder. I turned and saw, seated on a stool
with his back to the wall, a bright-looking, well-made young fellow who
might, from his dress, have been a lawyer's clerk, or the son of a
tradesman, but with rather a more out-of-doors appearance than is
usually acquired in an office or shop.

"Ah," said I, "you know those towns, then?"

"I live at Montoire," said he, interestedly, as if glad to get into
conversation. "There is a fine public square there, you will see."

"But it is rather a long ride before dinner, isn't it?"

"Only about five leagues. I shall ride there for dinner to-morrow, at
all events."

"You are returning home, then?"

"Yes, Monsieur."

"Have you been far away?"

"That is as one may think," he replied after a moment's hesitation,
during which he seemed to decide it best to evade the question. His
travels were none of my business, and I cared not how secretive he might
be upon them. But to teach him a lesson in openness, I said:

"I have travelled from Le Lude to-day."

"And I too," said he, with his former interest.

"I didn't see you at the inn there," said I. "You must have left early
this morning."

"Yes, after arriving late last night. Yesterday evening I was at La
Fleche."

I gave an inward start; but said quietly enough: "Ah?--and yet you talk
as if you had slept at Le Lude."

"So I did. I travelled part of the night."

"And arrived at Le Lude before midnight, perhaps?"

"Yes, a little before. Luckily, the innkeeper happened to be up, and he
let me in."

I breathed more freely. This young man must have left La Fleche before I
had: he could know nothing of the man slain.

"Th