Principal Council of War, sitting in Paris.

Dumoulin had recently taken up his new duties, and was counting on
getting peacefully into the run of things, when, the evening before,
he had been warned at his own home by a private note from the
Minister, that a deserter, accused of treason, had been arrested, and
that Corporal Vinson was the man in question.

At the sight of this name Commandant Dumoulin thrilled with
excitement. As former Under-Secretary at the Second Bureau he had the
affair at his finger ends, and well knew how tangled, how obscure it
was, how bristling with dangers, how rich in complications.... The
Vinson affair, it was the Captain Brocq affair, the singer Nichoune
affair ... the story of a plan of mobilisation stolen, of a gun piece
lifted from the Arsenal!... He was in for a big affair--a sensational
case!...

The commandant passed a wakeful night and arrived early at his office.
He must get to work! Fortunately, among his deputies he had found a
competent and zealous helper in Lieutenant Servin. He turned to him
now.

"Our next proceeding will be to establish the identity of Corporal
Vinson. We must examine him on that point without delay.... Send for
him immediately, Lieutenant!... According to the prison register, he
occupies cell 26."

"Excuse me, Commandant; Vinson, who was registered this morning at the
Cherche-Midi prison, must actually be in the Council buildings, where
he occupied cell 27."

The commandant adjusted his eye-glasses, looked closely at a yellow
paper, and corrected in his turn:

"That is an error: in cell 27 is an individual named Butler."

"Yes, Commandant: Butler--he is Vinson!"

"I do not understand," objected Dumoulin. "You must have made a
mistake. Corporal Vinson was arrested yesterday at the Saint Lazare
station: he was brought here and was registered for cell 26; besides,
I was immediately informed of this arrest by a private telegram."

"Commandant," persisted the lieutenant: "Corporal Vinson, who hid
himself under the name of Butler, was arrested early this morning at
the Calais station, when he landed from England. The arrest was
effected by Inspector Juve, who took his prisoner to Cherche-Midi
about six o'clock; and this Vinson occupied cell 27."

"Come, now, Lieutenant, you have lost your head!" grumbled the
commandant: "Since Vinson was arrested yesterday at the Saint Lazare
station, it is evident that he was not arrested last night at Calais!
V