lemen."

"Speak, then."

May did not wait for the injunction to be repeated. Throwing his
chest forward, and his head back as had been his wont throughout his
examinations, whenever he wished to make an oratorical display, he
began as follows: "It shall be for you to say, gentlemen, whether I'm an
honest man or not. The profession matters little. One may, perhaps, act
as the clown of a traveling show, and yet be an honest man--a man of
honor."

"Oh, spare us your reflections!"

"Very well, sir, that suits me exactly. To be brief, then here is a
little paper which was thrown into my cell a few minutes ago. There are
some numbers on it which may mean something; but I have examined them,
and they are quite Greek to me."

He paused, and then handing Lecoq's missive to the magistrate, quietly
added: "It was rolled up in a bit of bread."

This declaration was so unexpected, that it struck all the officials
dumb with surprise, but the prisoner, without seeming to notice the
effect he had produced, placidly continued: "I suppose the person who
threw it, made a mistake in the window. I know very well that it's
a mean piece of business to denounce a companion in prison. It's a
cowardly act and one may get into trouble by doing so; still, a
fellow must be prudent when he's charged with murder as I am, and with
something very unpleasant, perhaps, in store for him."

A terribly significant gesture of severing the head from the body
left no doubt whatever as to what May meant by the "something very
unpleasant."

"And yet I am innocent," continued May, in a sorrowful, reproachful
tone.

The magistrate had by this time recovered the full possession of his
faculties. Fixing his eyes upon the prisoner and concentrating in one
magnetic glance all his power of will, he slowly exclaimed: "You speak
falsely! It was for you that this note was intended."

"For me! Then I must be the greatest of fools, or why should I have sent
for you to show it you? For me? In that case, why didn't I keep it? Who
knew, who could know that I had received it?"

These words were uttered with such a marvelous semblance of honesty,
May's gaze was frank and open, his voice rang so true, and his reasoning
was so specious, that all the governor's doubts returned.

"And what if I could prove that you are uttering a falsehood?" insisted
M. Segmuller. "What if I could prove it--here and now?"

"You would have to lie to do so! Oh! pardon! Excuse me; I me