Vinson?"

Lieutenant Servin replied that this had been done.

"And what did they declare?"

"Nothing definite.... I may say they were very much moved at the sight
of the corpse--also, that it is decomposing rapidly."

Here Fandor broke in:

"Commandant, I am extremely surprised that you thought it necessary to
summon only two soldiers! It is at least strange!... I have the right
to expect that in the conduct of the enquiry connected with the action
you wish to bring against me you should proceed more seriously than
you are doing at present.... A magistrate should be impartial!"...

The commandant had risen. He bent towards Fandor across his
writing-table. Fandor also had risen--Dumoulin's air was threatening:
he was furious.

"What do you mean by that?" he shouted.

"I mean to say," burst out Fandor, "that for the last forty-eight
hours you have given proofs of a revolting partiality--against me!"

For a minute Dumoulin drew himself up, crimson, choking: he was an
embodied protest. Suddenly he dropped the official and became the
fellow-citizen. He cried:

"But I am an honest man!"

Dumoulin was a worthy official of the old school. Whatever his
temperamental drawbacks, he undoubtedly aimed at a conscientious
conduct of any case he had in charge. Fandor had made an exceedingly
bad impression on him. He had been scandalised that a civilian, a mere
journalist, had dared to treat the army with contempt, by so lightly
taking the place of a real soldier. Unquestionably there were grave
presumptions of Fandor's guilt: that was Dumoulin's opinion.

Considering the importance of the affair, the terrible consequences
which might ensue for the accused were the case to go against him, it
was imperative that the enquiry should be thorough down to the
minutest detail.... The commandant well knew the weak points in his
procedure. There was this confrontation, with the absurd testimonies
of the two soldiers: it had proved a ridiculous fiasco. Also, he would
have great difficulty in showing conclusively that Fandor had been a
certain time at Chalons under Vinson's uniform.

Dumoulin, mastering his emotion, resumed his official tone.

"Fandor!"...

He stopped short, glared indignantly at the two soldiers planted in
the middle of the room.

"What are you two up to now?" he cried.

The ridiculous pair saluted, but did not reply.

"Lieutenant, remove those men! We do not want any more of them here!
Take them out of m