"The police agent you see here followed the tracks they left across the
snow."

"Ah! at night-time--across fields intersected by ditches, and up a long
street--a fine rain falling all the while, and a thaw already beginning!
Oh, your story is very probable!"

As he spoke, the murderer extended his arm toward Lecoq, and then, in a
tone of crushing scorn, he added: "A man must have great confidence
in himself, or a wild longing for advancement, to try and get a man
guillotined on such evidence as that!"

At these words, Goguet, the smiling clerk, whose pen was rapidly flying
across the paper, could not help remarking to himself: "The arrow has
entered the bull's-eye this time!"

The comment was not without foundation: for Lecoq was evidently cut to
the quick. Indeed, he was so incensed that, forgetful of his subordinate
position, he sprang to his feet, exclaiming: "This circumstance would be
of slight importance if it were not one of a long chain--"

"Be good enough to keep silent," interrupted the magistrate, who,
turning to the prisoner, added: "The court does not utilize the proofs
and testimony collected by the police until it has examined and weighed
them."

"No matter," murmured the prisoner. "I should like to see this
cab-driver."

"Have no fear about that; he shall repeat his evidence in your
presence."

"Very well. I am satisfied then. I will ask him how he can distinguish
people's faces when it is as dark as--"

He checked himself, apparently enlightened by a sudden inspiration.

"How stupid I am!" he exclaimed. "I'm losing my temper about these
people when you know all the while who they are. For of course the
cabmen drove them home."

M. Segmuller saw that the prisoner understood him. He perceived,
moreover, that the latter was doing all he could to increase the mystery
that enshrouded this essential point of the case--a point upon which the
prosecution was particularly anxious to obtain information.

The prisoner was truly an incomparable comedian, for his last
observation was made in a tone of remarkable candor, just tinged with
sufficient irony to show that he felt he had nothing to fear in this
direction.

"If you are consistent with yourself," remarked the magistrate, "you
will also deny the existence of an accomplice, of a--comrade."

"What would be the use denying it, since you believe nothing that I
say? Only a moment ago you insinuated that my former employer was an
imaginary pe