Come, what have
you to say?"

But Quadling, with pale, averted face, stood obstinately mute. He
was in the toils, the net had closed round him, they should have
no assistance from him.

"Come, speak out; it will be best. Remember, we have means to make
you--"

"Will you interrogate him further, M. Beaumont le Hardi? Here, at
once?"

"No, let him be removed to the Prefecture; it will be more
convenient; to my private office."

Without more ado a fiacre was called, and the prisoner was taken
off under escort, M. Flocon seated by his side, one policeman in
front, another on the box, and lodged in a secret cell at the Quai
l'Horloge.

"And you, gentlemen?" said the Judge to Sir Charles and Colonel
Papillon. "I do not wish to detain you further, although there may
be points you might help us to elucidate if I might venture to
still trespass on your time?"

Sir Charles was eager to return to the Hotel Madagascar, and yet
he felt that he should best serve his dear Countess by seeing this
to the end. So he readily assented to accompany the Judge, and
Colonel Papillon, who was no less curious, agreed to go too.

"I sincerely trust," said the Judge on the way, "that our people
have laid hands on that woman Petitpre. I believe that she holds
the key to the situation, that when we hear her story we shall
have a clear case against Quadling; and--who knows?--she may
completely exonerate Madame la Comtesse."

During the events just recorded, which occupied a good hour, the
police agents had time to go and come from the Rue Bellechasse.
They did not return empty-handed, although at first it seemed as
if they had made a fruitless journey. The Hotel Ivoire was a very
second-class place, a lodging-house, or hotel with furnished rooms
let out by the week to lodgers with whom the proprietor had no
very close acquaintance. His clerk did all the business, and this
functionary produced the register, as he is bound by law, for the
inspection of the police officers, but afforded little information
as to the day's arrivals.

"Yes, a man calling himself Dufour had taken rooms about midday,
one for himself, one for madame who was with him, also named
Dufour--his sister, he said;" and he went on at the request of the
police officers to describe them.

"Our birds," said the senior agent, briefly. "They are wanted. We
belong to the detective police."

"All right." Such visits were not new to the clerk.

"But you will not find mons