magistrate
accompanied by a lawyer and full of confidence, complaining loudly that
the police, in searching during his absence, had offended against the
rights of a domiciled burgess, and ought to have awaited his return.
Affecting a just indignation at Monsieur de Lamotte's conduct towards
him, he presented a demand that the latter should be declared a
calumniator, and should pay damages for the injury caused to his
reputation. But this time his effrontery and audacity were of little
avail, the magistrate easily detected him in flagrant lies. He declared
at first that he had paid the hundred thousand livres with his own money
but when reminded of his various bankruptcies, the claims of his
creditors, and the judgments obtained against him as an insolvent debtor,
he made a complete volte-face, and declared he had borrowed the money
from an advocate named Duclos, to whom he had given a bond in presence of
a notary. In spite of all his protestations, the magistrate committed
him to solitary confinement at Fort l'Eveque.

As yet, nothing was publicly known; but vague reports and gossip, carried
from shop to shop, circulated among the people, and began to reach the
higher classes of society. The infallible instinct which is aroused
among the masses is truly marvellous; a great crime is committed, which
seems at first likely to defeat justice, and the public conscience is
aroused. Long before the tortuous folds which envelop the mystery can be
penetrated, while it is still sunk in profound obscurity, the voice of
the nation, like an excited hive, buzzes around the secret; though the
magistrates doubt, the public curiosity fixes itself, and never leaves
go; if the criminal's hiding-place is changed, it follows the track,
points it out, descries it in the gloom. This is what happened on the
news of Derues' arrest. The affair was everywhere discussed, although
the information was incomplete, reports inexact, and no real publicity to
be obtained. The romance which Derues had invented by way of defence,
and which became known as well as Monsieur de Lamotte's accusation,
obtained no credence whatever; on the contrary, all the reports to his
discredit were eagerly adopted. As yet, no crime could be traced, but
the public presentiment divined an atrocious one. Have we not often seen
similar agitations? The names of Bastide, of Castaing, of Papavoine, had
hardly been pronounced before they completely absorbed all the publi