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So saying, the prisoner smiled sneeringly, but at once changed countenance when the magistrate retorted in a tone of assurance: "I will prove it." M. Segmuller certainly wished that a number had been branded upon the enigmatical prisoner before him. And yet he did not by any means despair, and his confidence, exaggerated though it might be, was not at all feigned.
With such a clue and a little patience, the mysterious Lacheneur might yet be discovered. "Now," continued M. Segmuller, "let us speak of the women who accompanied these unfortunate men. What sort of women were they?" "Oh! women of no account whatever!" "Were they well dressed?" "On the contrary, very miserably." "Well, give me a description of them."
He is so wonderfully shrewd that, when he saw me take the dust, he divined my intentions; and since then he has managed to concoct this story a plausible story enough and one that any jury would believe." M. Segmuller was saying the same thing to himself. But he was not so surprised nor so overcome by the skill the prisoner had displayed in fencing with this point. "Let us continue," said he.
"Justice," said he, "now requires some information from you concerning the frequenters of your mother's establishment." "There are a great many of them, sir," answered Polyte in a harsh voice. "Do you know one of them named Gustave?" "No, sir." To insist would probably awaken suspicion in Polyte's mind; accordingly, M. Segmuller continued: "You must, however, remember Lacheneur?" "Lacheneur?
When he had answered the preliminary questions, telling the magistrate that he was thirty years of age, and that he had been born in Paris, he assumed a pretentious attitude and waited to see what else was coming. But before proceeding with the real matter in hand, M. Segmuller wished to relieve the complacent scoundrel of some of his insulting assurance.
"I wish to speak to the magistrate." "Very well. He shall be informed." "Immediately, if you please. I have a revelation to make." "He shall be sent for immediately." Lecoq waited to hear no more. He tore down the narrow staircase leading from the loft, and rushed to the Palais de Justice to acquaint M. Segmuller with what had happened.
Why, I should be worse than a wild beast to try and bring my own flesh and blood to perdition." She soon perceived, however, that her lamentations did not much affect M. Segmuller, hence, suddenly changing both her tone and manner, she began her justification.
A prisoner is almost always a match in ingenuity for his custodians." The young detective had not finished speaking when they reached the magistrate's office. Scarcely had Lecoq opened the door than M. Segmuller and his clerk rose from their seats. They both read important intelligence in our hero's troubled face. "What is it?" eagerly asked the magistrate.
"Of course, I use the language of that country." "Let me hear, then!" retorted M. Segmuller, whose mother-tongue was German.
The messenger whom M. Segmuller had instructed to go in search of Lecoq was not at all displeased with the errand; for it enabled him to leave his post and take a pleasant little stroll through the neighborhood.
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