The Thin Red Line; and Blue Blood

e, the Continental, the Athenée, or the Grand. It occupied four sides of a courtyard, to which access was had by the usual gateway. The porter's lodge was in the

gne?" aske

without looking up. "Monsieur has but just returned," he went

ase," said the police-officer,

ognising his visitors for the first tim

time to gossip," replied

blue eyes were clouded, and his fresh, youthful face was drawn and haggard. His attire, too-English, like his aspect-was torn and dishevelled, his

here; she could not have come home when we parted at the door of the Vaudeville-th

air and hid his f

t, struck down just when I-Who is there?" he cr

the name o

re already! Wh

or we shall f

back the bolt and admitt

t answer to your name? Tha

hat c

by authority: that is enough. Will you g

t am I

ood time. Isidore,

ong thin cord that serves in

we tie

st. You shall answer for this outrage. I am an

We are not afraid. B

ner-went out together. On the threshold

arge of it. Monsieur the Judge will no doubt make a sear

cket, and the party went down to the cab, which was

searched, deprived of money, watch, penknife, and pencil-case; his description was noted down, and then he was

ot, a chair, and a table. Another franc or two got him his breakfast and din

ed from the heavy sleep that had only come to him after

centre, at which sat the judge, his back to the window. On one side of him was a smaller desk for the c

said the jud

old and impassive face, the extreme pallor of which was heightened by h

e and nat

, and as such I must at once protest

must abide by it, since you choose to live here. I do not owe you

peal to our

nd, as though the thre

are here to be interrogated; you will

each other; the former seeking to read the other's inmost thought

is you

nty-

ou mar

es

wife has

arted in spi

ow that?" he a

know it: that is enough. Your o

eman, living

e judge thus gave him the lie. "It is false-you are a profes

are quite misinformed. I

the police have long k

low contempt," cried

authorities. It is the visit of persons of your sta

from your low agents, with th

you into trouble. Our information about you i

looked i

ths ago, accompanied by a young demoise

as my

e official records of the 21st arrondisement prov

ot so. The

nsul at Gibraltar. Her mother is dead. Neither was pr

e did no

ds-the proceeds, no doubt, of some nefarious scheme; a

commission in t

r were in the

n pro

hotels, kept a landau and pair, dined at the Trois Frères and the Rocher de Cancale, frequente

presume I was at liberty to

dly ignoring the sneer, "you tried the gaming-table again, wi

ry, occasional

the deposition of the proprietor, who is well known to the p

dy?" asked Gasc

is not your pla

It was he who com

was discovered by the porter there was no one present. Ho

t to save the Baron, but Ledantec s

ift the guilt; but it will

Ledantec. Why should I attack t

have been running low, fortune has been against you at the tables, and you c

your position, Monsieur le Juge. Any on

tel-keeper was pressing for his long-unpaid account. Madame, your smart wife, was dissa

always received proper c

ll-treated her; we h

as plain he had taken his wife's defection greatly to heart. "Why has she left me? With wh

disappearance are sufficien

oigne, stretching

our search of your apartments yesterday, placed

me-it i

all hear what i

u rudely, cruelly dispelled the illusion, and made it plain to me that I had shared the lot of a pauper. All this I could have borne-poverty, however distasteful, but not the infamy, the degr