The Eight Strokes of the Clock

o meet Prince Rénine in the Bois. It was a glorious morning and they sa

he should startle her, refrained from alluding to the compact into which they had entered at his

Rénine. "I've

O

morning. Rossigny got a scratch in the shoulder. T

d to Hortense the plan of two enterprises which he had in view an

es that an opportunity to act and to expend one's energies is close at hand. It has to be seized at once. A moment's hesitation may mean that we

y were able to see his insignificant profile and his long, dark moustache. From behind them, through an open

oung man with the long moustache stifled a cry a

... No change? Oh,

icked up the paper. After casting a swift gl

ounsel for the defence

eived at the élysée. W

lic has refused to rep

ion will take place

lf faced, at the entrance to the garden, by a lady an

ed your agitation. It's abou

"Jacques, the friend of my childhood. I'm hurrying to

This lady and I would be happy to call on Madame A

ch he had read, seemed not to unders

utreuil, Gast

waiting at some little distance, and pus

here does Madame

Avenue

address to the chauffeur and, as soon as they

l it to me as briefly as you can. Jacques Aubri

ing the least explanation. "Innocent, I swear it. I've been Jacques' frie

ered Neuilly through the Porte des Sablons and, two minutes later, stopped before a

Dutreui

om, with her mother," said t

s," he said, taking Réni

lso as a study. Two women sat weeping, one of whom, elderly and grey-haired, came up to Gasto

rted! Murder his cousin? But he worshipped his cousin! I swear that he's not guilty, sir! And

ion of that innocence and in the certainty that an innocent man could never be ex

pretty, flaxen hair, was convulsed with desperate grief. Hortense, who had already t

it is myself. I therefore implore you to answer my questions as though the clear and definite wording of your replies were able to a

exclaimed; and the woman's

ust now compel me to share it. I am not asking you to go into details and to live again through the

wil

succeeded in subduing her and inspiring her with the will to obey. And o

fter begging the mother and Gaston D

urance-

in bu

last ye

ancial difficulties dur

es

der was comm

rch, on

s the v

M. Guillaume, who

s the su

s cousin had received the day before,

husband

on on the telephone, and Jacques insisted that his cousin ought not to keep

s in the

o M. Guillaume on his motor-cycle. But he felt tired and tol

lo

h my mother and our friend Dutreuil. In the evening, we learnt that

at evi

f guilt had evidently been overwhelming. Then, obeyi

th my husband's initials; and the revolver which was used belonged to him. Lastly, one of our neighbours maintains that he saw my husband

cques Aubrieux sa

ck the cycle-shed and take the motor-cycle to go to Suresnes. As for the handkerchief and the rev

plausible

utely nobody, knew that my husband was going to stay at home all day, because, on

second ob

hed and

and drank half a bottle of wine straight out of t

ntervention had awakened in her had suddenly vanished before the accumulation of adverse facts. Again she collapsed,

her sta

. They haven't the right to kill my daughter. Oh dear, oh dear, wha

will never be able to endure the idea that they are guillotining

riding up and

g for her, can you

eplied, in an anxious tone, "and

hink he's

pressive to be neglected. When two people have lived together for years,

uccession, without a word from any one to interrupt his train of thought. Fr

eleine Aubrieux, took her h

as come; and I promise you that, for my part, I will not be disheartene

" she said, with

confi

I shall be back in two hours from now

ng into his car, he

nfrequented restaurant, n

the ground-floor of the house in wh

hat will be

he way. Rénine, however,

he numbers of the notes

entered the sixty numbe

tered, a m

ere are the notes? If we could lay our h

e he asked to have lunch served. When the waiter had left him alone wit

ecture of police? Please put me on to the criminal investigation department.

in his hand, he turne

me here, I suppose? We sh

ui

tened

h has been of great use to him. He is sure to remember Prince Rénine. I may be able to-day to show him where the sixty thousand-franc notes are hidden which Aubrieux the murderer stole from his cousin

e saw the amazed faces of Hortense an

se whi

w? You've dis

" he said

el

knew. It's not a bad method. L

arked a qua

e will be here," he said, "

e comes?" Hor

xecution, to attempt to convince the gentry of the police or of the law that a man condemned to death is innocent. No. From henceforth Jacques Aubrieux belongs to the executioner. But the prosp

nothing of their

that physical phenomenon, he adopts some sort of theory which explains the various manifestations of the

ng that you are going

ntil some time later, when

erifying my theory, which is based upon intuition quite as much as upon a few scattered facts. But I have only

ose you a

re's a knock. Oh, one word more! Whatever I may

A thin man, with a r

ce Ré

of course, are f

es

e his name: "Chief-i

inspector," said Prince Rénine, "and I hope that M. Dud

ctors whom I have left in the square outside and w

nd I will not even ask you to sit down. We have only a few minut

otes stolen from M. Guillau

slip of paper which the chief

t. The two l

sseau seemed g

importance to your discovery. S

t for a moment a

xplain to you presently--has revealed the fact that, on his return from Suresnes, the murderer, after r

s ho

es

did he com

ds of his theft, th

you mean

h he had the key,

il exclaimed,

t on the fifth floor and

a with Madame Aubrieux and her mother,

one has the ke

et in with

een no marks

au inte

ther. You say the bank-notes wer

es

arrested the next morning, the

s my o

il could not

urd! I should h

look fo

any moment. The place isn't big enough to

, it's large enough to h

that nobody, to my knowledge, has been to my rooms; that there is only one

e's, she was trying to read his innermost thoughts. What game was he p

notes have been put away upstairs, wouldn't the simplest thin

young man. "As you say

tidious neatness. It was easy to see that every chair in the sitting-room occupied a definite place. The pipes had a rack to themselves; so had the matches. Three walking-sticks, arranged according to thei

no sooner did Rénine shift something than Dutreuil made a slight gesture of protest, took out his hat again, stuck it on his head, opened t

re you not?" the in

t the sixty notes were brou

look fo

f an hour, not a corner remained un

pector Morisseau. "

ine, "The notes a

do you

they have b

ou make a more de

ite, as conveyed by this gentleman's remarks? It all means that there's a dishonest man here, that the notes hidden by the murderer were discovered and sto

ists: "Me! Me! I found the notes, did I, and k

il flew into a rage and, taking In

n it. Before your arrival, Prince Rénine told this lady and myself that he knew nothing, that he was venturing into

d not ope

easy enough to say that I stole the notes. And how were you to know that they were here at all? Who brought them here? Why should the mu

erplexed. He questioned Réni

Madame Aubrieux herself. She's on the telephone. Let's

hrugged hi

; but what a w

thrown him into a sweat. He went to his bedroom and returned with a bottle of wat

long,"

Rénine

in a hurry to

you up," retorted Dutr

one. The room was empty. Rénine asked Gaston Dutreuil for the

Madame Aubrieux had fainted, after giving way to

ease. Prince Rénine s

t matter, the voices were so distinct that Dutreuil

t you,

ce Rénine,

ce Ré

me? Is there any hope?" asked the

pe for the best. For the moment, I want you to give me some very important pa

ch my daughter and m

at M. Guillaume had sixty t

I told

ry well and was proposing not to take his usu

es

are s

tely ce

ee went to the c

es

e all sittin

no room. He took a

re you coul

N

to you during

see him until we

no doubt

e at

sult of my efforts in an hour's time. But

he wakes of he

confidence. Everything is g

iver and turned to

are beginning to look cl

r what conclusions Rénine had drawn from his conv

ou have some of your me

ective-s

there. Please also ask the manager

oor, took his stand in front of Dutreuil and, spe

saw nothing of you between three and five o'cloc

treuil retorted, "and one, moreo

that you had a good two

ours which I spen

mewher

l looke

where

enty of time to go wherever you li

jesting in his turn. "Su

t you your friend Jacque

ad knitted his brows as though he were trying

as trying to lead up

wn his hand on Du

his house; secondly, that Jacques Aubrieux was not going out. You at once saw your chance. The motor-cycle was available. You slipped out during the performance.

ing and flurried, casting an occasional glance at Ins

med to say. "It's no us

d finished, he

it was I whom the neighbours saw goi

ised in Jacques A

that were found on the bott

eux at lunch, in his own house, and it was y

being frankly amused. "Then I contrived the whole affair

means of not bein

a friend whom I have

love with

ave a sudden, i

ou dare make such an

proof

ys respected Madeleine Aub

her. You desire her. Don't contradi

you! You have only k

atching you for days, waiting fo

man by the shoul

ything, you're tortured by remorse. Remember your dismay, at the restaurant, when you had seen the newspaper. What? Jacques Aubrieux condemned to die? That's more than you bargained fo

to extort a confession from him. But Dutreuil drew himsel

sense in it. All your accusations are false. What about the ba

ed, clenched his

'll dish you yet,

he inspec

say to it? An arran

tor nodded

the same ... so far th

've had our interview with M. Dudouis. For we sha

e there at th

Inspector! I tell you here and

f events. Hortense, who was standing near him and was able to spe

t him, hav

his head

All the same, I'm no farther forw

awful! And

was hoping to trip him up. But

u're certa

ot taken my eyes off him since. I have seen his anxiety increasing as my inv

love with Mad

hich are personal to myself. We shall never intercept the guillotine with those. Ah, if we could only f

ured Hortense, in

iety and rubbing his hands. All was going so well! It was really a trea

he chief must be there by now. And, having gone so far

aid Dutreuil

or, there was a noise in the passage a

uil, your flat is on fire!... A man out

haps half a second his mouth was twi

lf away, my beauty! It was you who set fire to th

cked h

ire and no one can get in, because no one els

m his hand and, holding him

you give orders to the sergeant not to let him out of his sight and to blow out his brains

y Hortense and the chief inspector,

he place on fire! How do you make out that he

on fire beforeha

ask yo

ke that, for no reason at all, at the very mome

s of the restaurant trying to burst the door open.

ached the

e, friends. I

in the lock and

the whole floor to be ablaze. Rénine at once saw that the fire had gone o

with us, will you? An intruder might spoil

ls and the ceiling, though blackened by the smoke, had not been touched. As a matter of fact, the fire wa

ruck his

am! What an u

ked the i

ch was standing on the table. That's where he hid

ossi

w could one imagine that a thief would leave sixty thousand francs in an open cardboard box, in which he places his ha

ho remained incr

with him and he could not h

x ... the tissue paper ... the bank-notes: they must all have been steeped in some inflammable liq

rder for the sake of sixty thousand francs should do away with the money in this way? If the hiding-

s it. Anything rather than the guillotine; and they--the bank-notes--were the on

was flab

The onl

obvi

evidence? All that you wer

e bl

ed the bewildered inspector

taken action w

N

t more do

was nothing left, not even those remnants of

all the same! How the deuce did h

as making his supreme effort and that, after this last struggle in the dark,

ith anxiety

l up, is

p. It was, a few seconds ago. But now there is a

hat it may b

s only an attempt, but a fine, a ve

en, with an amused smile and a

urning the notes: what a fertile imagination! And what cool

hat-box of the same size and appearance as the one which had been burnt. After crumpling the tissue pap

ok from an inner pocket of his waistcoat a bundle of bank-notes and selected six, which he burnt almost completely, arrang

for the last time. Go and fetch Dutreuil. Tell him just this: 'You are unm

e head of the detective service, the chief-inspector was powerless to thr

urned to

rstand my pl

rous experiment. Do you think that

d the degree of demoralization to which he is red

ecognizes by some sign that

f wriggling out of the trap. On the other hand, however, how uneasy he must be! How the blood must be buzzing in his e

e hours later, Jacques Aubrieux would be put to death. And together with a horrible anguish she experienced, in spite of all, a feeling of eager curiosity. What was Prince Rénine going to do? What would be the outcome

ootsteps of men in a hurry. The sound dre

his features already transfigured by action. The footsteps were now

's make an

ed. He caught hold of Dutreuil in the midst of the de

table and the water-bottle was really splendid! A

the matter?" mumbled Gas

others are there, at the bottom.... You understand? The long-sought notes, the great proof of the murder: they're there, where you hid them.... As c

examined neither the hat-box nor the bank-notes. From the first moment, without taking the time to reflect an

plans baffled and the enemy master of his secrets, the wretched man had neither th

him no tim

round-bellied water-bottle and stand it on the window-sill. It acts as a burning-glass, concentrating the rays of the sun on the cardboard and tissue-paper, all nicely prepared. Ten minutes later, it bursts into flames. A splendid idea! And, like all great discoveries, it came quite by chance, what? It reminds one of Newton's apple.... One day, the sun, passing

compelled him to write, guiding his hand and dictating the sentences.

od enough to take it to M. Dudouis. These gentlemen," turning to the waite

whelmed by what had happened, d

e been fool enough to confess, make

d him, standing

ix of them to make you swallow the stunt. And you couldn't make out what had happened. What an owl you must be! To furnish me with evidence at the last moment, when I hadn't a single proof of my own! And such

tense Daniel to take the car, go to Madelei

?" asked

do ... urgent a

f the pleasure of bri

only pleasure that never flags is that of the fight

at strange man, who seemed to do good as a sort of game and who did it with something like genius. But she was unabl

ed his hea

. I have m