thing; I didn't hear anything.' If such is your system of defense,
I warn you that it will be impossible for you to maintain it, and I may
add that it would not be admitted by any tribunal."

"It is not a system of defense; it is the truth."

M. Segmuller seemed to reflect for a moment; then, suddenly, he
exclaimed: "Then you have nothing to tell me about this miserable
assassin?"

"But he is not an assassin, my good sir."

"What do you mean by such an assertion?"

"I mean that he only killed the others in protecting himself. They
picked a quarrel with him; he was alone against three, and saw very
plainly that he could expect no mercy from brigands who--"

The color rose to the Widow Chupin's cheeks, and she suddenly checked
herself, greatly embarrassed, and evidently regretting that she had
not bridled her tongue. It is true she might reasonably hope, that the
magistrate had imperfectly heard her words, and had failed to seize
their full purport, for two or three red-hot coals having fallen from
the grate on the hearth, he had taken up the tongs, and seemed to be
engrossed in the task of artistically arranging the fire.

"Who can tell me--who can prove to me that, on the contrary, it was not
this man who first attacked the others?" he murmured, thoughtfully.

"I can," stoutly declared the widow, already forgetful of her prudent
hesitation, "I can swear it."

M. Segmuller looked up, intense astonishment written upon his face. "How
can you know that?" he said slowly. "How can you swear it? You were in
your bedroom when the quarrel began."

Silent and motionless in his corner, Lecoq was inwardly jubilant. This
was a most happy result, he thought, but a few questions more, and the
old woman would be obliged to contradict herself. What she had already
said sufficed to show that she must have a secret interest in the
matter, or else she would never have been so imprudently earnest in
defending the prisoner.

"However, you have probably been led to this conclusion by your
knowledge of the murderer's character," remarked M. Segmuller, "you are
apparently well acquainted with him."

"Oh, I had never set eyes on him before that evening."

"But he must have been in your establishment before?"

"Never in his life."

"Oh, oh! Then how do you explain that on entering the shop while you
were upstairs, this unknown person--this stranger--should have called
out: 'Here, old woman!' Did he merely guess that the establis