THE LOTTERY TICKET.
23-
instead of leaving them in a carriage.    Where did you enter this
vehicle?"
" At the carriage stand nearest my house. At the gate of the
Luxembourg. ' '
" And it took you where?"
" To the restaurant where Dargental had asked me to meet him."
" At what hour did you arrive there?"
" About noon."
" And the crime must have been committed about eleven o'clock.
It is strange that the assassin should have ordered the coachman to
take him back of the Odon and almost to your very door."
Puymirol made no reply. He felt that he was not capable of
contending with a practiced detective, and that the commissioner
would certainly make him contradict himself sonner or later.
" Did you take the number ot this carriage?" added the magis-
trate.
"No. 1 had no special reason for taking it," murmured Puy-
mirol.
" Pardon me: had you done so, you might have questioned the
coachman, and ascertained where he left the passenger who dropped
the lottery tickets, lt is true that you were not anxious to find
him. as you had already decided to keep them."
Puymirol blushed, and hung his head. In clearing himself of
the charge of murder he had placed himself in a position where he
was unable to deny his fraudulent intentions.
" lt is a great pity," continued the commissioner. " The testi-
mony of this coachman would be of great importance, for the judge
is not obliged to take your word, and if you can produce no wit-
ness   Wtre you alone in the carriage?"
This time Puymirol hesitated. It was too great a risk to mention
George Caumont's name, for George, who was ignorant of the real
situation of affairs, would simply tell the truth, and then the wallet,
the wallet that Puymirol no longer possessed, would appear upon
the scene. George would probably hand over tlie letters. Perhaps
he would even tell the judge that one of the letters was from the
Countess de Lescombat, and that one of the others was probably
from Blanche Pornie, in which case the least lhat could happen to
Puymirol would be conviction of perjury; so thinking to avert this
new danger by a falsehood, he replied, unblushinglyf
" 1 was alone."
" There is nothing left for us, then, but to look up the coach-
man," replied the commissioner, coldly, "and it is not improbable
that we shall succeed in finding bim. We have the exact date of
the ride, as well as the point of departure, and the place of destina-
tion. We will make inquiries at the office of the cab company, and
at all the livery stables. If the coachman remembers the occurrence
he can give us the clew."
Puymirol knew perfectly well that the coachman would recollect
the occurrence, as he had given the mysterious stranger who pur-
loined the wallet full information in regard lo it, so seeing lhat he
was getting deeper and deeper into the mire, he decided to make a
bold attempt to cut the interview short.
" I reproach myself bitterly for having yielded lo a temptation
for which 1 blush," he said. " You must blame me very severely,
but I hope you will not carry things lo extremes. 1 belong to a
respectable family, and my past is wilhout a stain. 1 shall be at
your disposal, of course, but 1 must now ask your permission to
withdraw."
" My powers are more limited than you suppose," snid the com
missioner, gravely. " The judge of instruction will give due atten-
tion to your explanation, but you must make it to him in person.
He must now be at the Palais de Justice, aud I will accompany you
there. ' '
" Nothing would please me better.    1 thought of calling at his
office to-day, and as you are kind euough to accompany me"
" It is my duty."
The commissioner rang. One ot the detectives who had remained
in the antechamber entered, and received orders to go for a car-
riage; then, taking up his bag of documents, the commissioner left
the room in company with Puymirol, whose wonted assurance had
nearly deserted him. They found the carriage waiting for them at
the door, and they entered it. Puymirol saw one of the detectives
clamber upon the box, and seat himself beside the coachman. This
precaution seemed an evil omen, but he did not yet despair of ex-
tricating himself from his most embarrassing position. The drive
was a silent one, and ended upon ihe Quai de l'Hoiloge, at the
entrance to the court-yard of the Conciergerie.
" Where are you taking me?" asked Puymirol. " Monsieur Rob-
ergeot's office is in the building bordering on the boulevard."
" You will soon be summoned there," replied the commissioner.
" But I must see him before you do, and until he is ready to receive
you 1 must leave you in the prefecture depot."
CHAPTER V.
On the day following Puymirol's arrestfor Puymirol was really
and truly arrestedGeorge Caumont, who had passed a very rest-
less arid uncomfortable night, was awakened at an early hour by his
prospective brother-in-law.
" 1 have come to propose a morning ride, my dear fellow," he
cried. "It is generally a thankless task to arouse a friend from
sleep, but when you hear my reasons 1 am sure that you will for-
give me. You know my mare VerduretteBlanche is longing lo
mount her; but I don't dare fo trust her. She becomes really
dangerous when she has been standing in the stable a couple of
days, and it is unsafe for any one to ride her but myselfshe will
not do at all for Gabrielle; but 1 have a very gentle animal, well
suited to a lady, at my disposal, and for you a large horse, a little
old, but still quite spirited, loaned me by one of my friends. Last
evening at dinner, you see, my sister obtained rny mother's per-
mission to make a tour of the" Bois this morning, escorted by her
betrothed and by your humble servant.    Rochas, fortunately, was.
not there to interfere, and it was decided that all three of us should
start at half-past nine this morning."
" F'rom where?"
" From the maternal mansion.    The three horses are already
standing, saddled and bridled, in our court-yard, and Gabrielle is
awaiting you on the balcony.    So make haste, and dress, and come
with me.    But the proposal does not seem to please you."
" On the contrary, 1 should be delighted, only"
"What?"                                                          J
" I intended to spend my morning in trying toscertain what
had become ot my friend Puymirol."
" What! hasn't he made his appearance yet?" (>xclaimed Albert,,
gayly. " To spend two nights out is dissipalion, indeed; but I see
nothing alarming in it. Besides, you can do nothing. Where the
deuce would you go look for him? To Ihe morgue or to the pre-
fecture of police? That would be really too absurd. Come with
us to the Bois. We can spend a couple of hours I here very pleas-
antly, and when you return you will probably find your friend here
waiting for you."
George was not convinced, but he could not tell Albert that
Puymirol had become involved in dangerous schemes which might
have terminated in a catastrophe.
"Let your friend be where he is," continued the lieutenant.
"He can lake care of himself very well without your assistance.
Y'our refusal would upset all our plans, and Gabrielle would be
furious. 1 promised Blanche that 1 would take her to Armenon-
ville to breakfast, and you see, 1 have consented to break that en-
gagement"
" The cases are scarcely identical," said George, smiling, " but I
should never forgive myself if 1 disappointed Mademoiselle Verdon.
1 will dress myself, and 1 shall not be long. If you wish lo smoke
a cigar there are some very good ones in that box on the mantel."
"Take a stout whip," said Albert, when his friend was ready.
" The horse you are going to ride is a stubborn fellow, and you may
have use for it."
"I will bring him to his senses, never fear," replied George,
who was sure of himself, and did not fear to lose the esteem of hia
prospective brother-in-law by being thrown from his horse. He
was even grateful for an opportunity to display his skill in horse-
manship before Gabrielle and her brother.
The house occupied by Mme. Verdon was only a few steps from
the Rue de Medicis, and on turning the corner of the Boulevard
Saint-Michel the two friends perceived the mother and daughter on
the lower balcony almost opposite them. The mother was arrayed
in a showy morning dress, the daughter in a dark green habit.
The three horses were waiting tor them in Ihe court-yard, and
George recognized at a glance the animal intended for him. lt was
a large chestnut, witli a very evident spirit of mischief in his eyes.
Gabrielle hastened down the steps, and soon stood beside the
young men. Her eyes were shining brightly, her cheeks were rosy,
her lips wreathed with smiles. She extended her gloved hand lo
her betrothed, who pressed a respectful kiss upon it, as she said
gayly:
" So here you are at last. 1 was becoming so impatient. I began
to fear that we should he obliged to abandon our expedition, and 1
really believe 1 should have cried with disappointment and vexa-
tion."
" 1 am truly sorry tohave kept you waiting, mademoiselle, and"'
"No apologies.    They would  only retard  our departure  still
longer, and 1 have leave of absence only until noon."
" We will start immediately.    Come, let me mount you," said
Albert.
And in the twinkling ot an eye Gabrielle was in tbe saddle.
" Which road to the Bois shall we take?" asked George..
" Let us take the Boulevard Saint Germain, fur that will take us
straight to the Pont de la Concorde; and from there to the Arc de
Triomphe is our only chance for a gallop."
George examined the animal he was to mount with the eyes of a
connoisseur; then, adjusting the reins carefully, he put his toot in
the stirrup, and was in the saddle before the animal had time to
offer any iesi stance.
As Ihey trotted slowly down the Rue de Medicis. Gabrielle in the
middle, Albert on tne right, and George on the left side, the lieu-
tenant exclaimed:
" Why! what a crowd there is about your door! Can it be that
the house is on fire?"
It was not a lire, but, something unusual was certainly going on.
Two carriages were standing in front of the house, and a policeman
was waving back an eager crowd of men and boys who were jost-
ling one another in their efforts to see wnat was passing in the alley,
where everything was as quiet as the grave. A presentiment that
all this commotion was in some way connected with Puymirol
flashed across George's mind. Had he been bi ought home, wound-
ed, dead, perhaps?
" Try to find out what the matter is?" urged Albert.
George checked his horse and spoke to a man who was moving
away, exasperated at having seen nothing.
" Tbe fools who make such a fuss about nothing!" replied the
man, shrugging his shoulders. " The police are searching some-
body's rooms, that is all."
George was struck dumb with astonishment. What could this
mean! Whose apartments were they searching? The man to whom
he had spoken was already some distance oft. The coachman might
give him further information, and had he yielded to his first im-
pulse he would have applied to him, but it suddenly occurred to
him that this search might be for the famous letters. The judge of
instruction might have learned that they had fallen into Puymirol's
hands, and so decided to institute a search for them. Now, these
letters were in George's rooms, and if he should enter the house to
make further inquiries he would certainly be putting his head into
the lion's mouth, for the concierge would hardly tail to notify the