time; so that it was six o'clock,
and almost dark, when we reached Vincennes. A little before we got into
the town, Chevassat stopped the cab, paid the driver, sends him back,
and, taking me by the arm, says, 'You must be hungry: let us dine.'

"So we first absorb a glass of absinthe; then he carries me straight to
the best restaurant, asks for a private room, and orders a dinner. Ah,
but a dinner! Merely to hear it ordered from the bill of fare made my
mouth water.

"We sit down; and I, fearing nothing, would not have changed places with
the pope. And I talked, and I ate, and I drank; I drank, perhaps, most;
for I had not had anything to drink for a long time; and, finally, I was
rather excited. Chevassat seemed to have unbuttoned, and told me lots of
funny things which set me a-laughing heartily. But when the coffee had
been brought, with liquors in abundance, and cigars at ten cents apiece,
my individual rises, and pushes the latch in the door; for there was a
latch.

"Then he comes back, and sits down right in front of me, with his elbows
on the table. 'Now, old man,' he says, 'we have had enough laughing and
talking. I am a good fellow, you know; but you understand that I am not
treating you for the sake of your pretty face alone. I want a good stout
fellow; and I thought you might be the man.'

"Upon my word, he told me that in such a peculiar way, that I felt as if
somebody had kicked me in the stomach; and I began to be afraid of him.
Still I concealed my fears, and said, 'Well, let us see; go it! What's
the row?'

"At once he replies, 'As I told you before, I have not laid up a cent.
But if anything should happen to a certain person whom I think of, I
should be rich; and you--why, you might be rich too, if you were willing
to give him a little push with the elbow, so that the thing might happen
to him a little sooner.'"

Earnestly bent upon the part which he had to play for the sake of
carrying out his system of defence, the prisoner assumed more and more
hypocritical repentance, an effort which gave to his wicked face a
peculiarly repulsive expression.

The magistrate, however, though no doubt thoroughly disgusted with this
absurd comedy, did not move a muscle of his face, nor make a gesture,
anxious, as he was, not to break the thread of this important
deposition.

"Ah, sir!" exclaimed Crochard, his hand upon his heart, "when I
heard Chevassat talk that way, my heart turned within me, and I said,
'