us those useless denials. Justice knows
everything it wants to know. That shot was the third attempt you made to
murder a man."

Crochard drew back. He looked livid. But he had still the strength to
say in a half-strangled voice,--

"That is false!"

But the magistrate had too great an abundance of evidence to allow the
examination to continue. He said simply,--

"Who, then, threw, during the voyage, an enormous block at M. Champcey's
head? Come, don't deny it. The emigrant who was near you, who saw you,
and who promised he would not report you at that time, has spoken. Do
you want to see him?"

Once more Crochard opened his lips to protest his innocence; but he
could not utter a sound. He was crushed, annihilated; he trembled in all
his limbs; and his teeth rattled in his mouth. In less than no time, his
features had sunk in, as it were, till he looked like a man at the foot
of the scaffold. It may be, that, feeling he was irretrievably lost, he
had had a vision of the fatal instrument.

"Believe me," continued the lawyer, "do not insist upon the impossible;
you had better tell the truth."

For another minute yet, the miserable man hesitated. Then, seeing no
other chance of safety, except the mercy of the judges, he fell heavily
on his knees, and stammered out,--

"I am a wretched man."

At the same instant a cry of astonishment burst from the doctor, from
Daniel, and the worthy Lefloch. But the man of law was not surprised. He
knew in advance that the first victory would be easily won, and that the
real difficulty would be to induce the prisoner to confess the name of
his principal. Without giving him, therefore time to recover, he said,--

"Now, what reasons had you for persecuting M. Champcey in this way?"

The accused rose again; and, making an effort, he said slowly,--

"I hated him. Once during the voyage he had threatened to have me put in
irons."

"The man lies!" said Daniel.

"Do you hear?" asked the lawyer. "So you will not tell the truth? Well,
I will tell it for you. They had hired you to kill Lieut. Champcey,
and you wanted to earn your money. You got a certain sum of money in
advance; and you were to receive a larger sum after his death."

"I swear"--

"Don't swear! The sum in your possession, which you cannot account for,
is positive proof of what I say."

"Alas! I possess nothing. You may inquire. You may order a search."

Under the impassive mask of the lawyer, a certain degree