The Morning herald., 1877-10-01
At this insult, the prisoners face flushed
crimson, and his eyes flashed. = ..'S-

""All that you did upon that evening I
know" continued the magistrate; NJ have
it upon the clearest evidence" He paused.
and, speaking very slowly, looked full in
the prisoners face. II have it upon the
evidence of Mademoiselle d'Arlange her,
SELF" ..,..a.r.DI~, 1aTI7 80 % %.
At the name of Clare, the face Of the ~ ac. !.
cused, contracted by firm determine
ton to betray nothing, quiyered for mo
ment. -. = = ,iN o.
A close observer would have said that
the change was one of q great relief, such
Us might be seen in man who, by i mir,
acle, escapes a danger that seemed al.
most imminent, -r-0,
Still he was silent. ....0.' H
"Mademoiselle d'Arlange," continued
the magistrate, 'has told me all. Nav.
she has told me in detail everything that
occurred on Tuesday evening. s..'
Still Albert hesitated.
"I'm not laying trap for you," added
Monsieur Daburon. II am speaking, to
you as one gentleman would to another
I repeat, then, that Mademoisells d'Ar-
lange has told me all." ...
This time Albert made up his mind to
speak.
His explanations conceded exactly with
those of Clare. Either Albert was inno-
cent, or, if guilty, she had been his &C
complice.
The magistrate felt convinced that this
could not be the case. He knew she was
innocent, and above all suspicion.
Where, then, was he to seek the assas-
sin7 ~
"You see, sir" said the magistrate, se-
verely, "that you have been deceiving me-,
You risk your head, sir; and, what's
worse. you are exposing justice to most
ueplorable error. Why didn't you speaA
the truth from the very first7"
"Sir," answered Albert, "Mademoiselle
d'Arlange, in granting me en- interview,
contided to me her honor"
"And you would rather die than speak
of this interview" interrupted Monsieur
Daburon, ironically. "You are quite q
hero, Monsieur de Valcourt; and, instead
Of living in our prosaic times, ought to
have Aourished in the days Of chivalry."
"I'm not the hero you suppose me to
be-" said the young man, simply. "If I
told you that hadn't counted upon Clare,
l would be telling you falsehood. I
was only waiting. knew that, directly
she knew of my arrest, she would brave
all to save me. But thought perhaps
she mightn't have heard Of the great mis-
fortune that had fallen upon me-that her
grandmother would have taken some
smeans to hide it from her; so made up
my mind to keep her name out Of the
whole affair."" "'
There was not the slightest tone Of
bravado in this reply. Monsieur Daburon
regretted his irony, and dismissed the
prisoner with few kind words. express
sive Of his hope that his innocence would
shortly be proved. q. 49,.
"Bring in Gevrol, now," said the mag
istrate to his clerk. ...T
The chief of the detective force was
absent; but his witness, the man with the
earrings, was waiting in the corridor. !
Accordingly, he was brought in. and
placed in front of Monsieur Daburon.
A short man, with neck sunk into his |
robust, and stunted like q
dwarf oak. His hair and beard, As white
as the driven show, made his sunburnt
face look almost the color Of mahogany.
He had large hands, unwashed, hard
and horny, with knubbly knuckles, re-
minding one Of the hands of a gorilla, ,,r
He wore the dress Of we'll l-to-do fisher
man from the north coast of France; and
carried in his great brown ears Q pair Of
enormous earrings, in the shape Of an
anchor.
1t required two policemen to push him
into the magistrates presence. 4
y This old sea-dog was very dmid and
bashful. .....
He came in, balancing himself as though !
he were in the last stage of drunksNAss, |
after the manner of his tribe, rolliI lis |
quid Of tobacco from one side Of his |
mouth to the other, and hitching up his |
trousers, as If they were in danger Of |
about his knees at every lurch
he made. .,.a
The moment he entered, Monsieur Da-
buron recognized the portrait drawn by |
he little ragamuffin witness, at La JON
,here. "y
'He had face as red as q sliced beet
'oot. He wore round jacket, with large
pockets at the side, and sticking out Of
me was blue-striped pocket-handker-
chief. He also wore ear-rings-large ear
large" ~
The magistrate also recognized that the
nan before him was as good creature
Is ever breathed. D.. .0.f
Honesty and kindness beamed from
'very wrinkle in his bronzed face.
"Your name2"
"Pierre Lerouge."
care you any relation to woman called
Ilaudne Lerouge1"
"I'm her husband, your honor"
"What!' thought Monsieur Daburon.
The husband Of the murdered woman is
live, and yet the police are ignorant Of
he factv'
"But" resumed the magistrate, ave
lars<onI Oh MN, I, ,,,;Jnxu All |,