. Lecoq
bowed to her politely, and, displaying the silk handkerchief, exclaimed:
"Madame, I have come to return this article to one of your lodgers."

"To which one?"

"Really, I don't exactly know."

In a moment the worthy dame imagined that this polite young man was
making fun of her. "You scamp--!" she began.

"Excuse me," interrupted Lecoq; "allow me to finish. I must tell you
that at about three o'clock in the morning, of the day before yesterday,
I was quietly returning home, when two ladies, who were seemingly in
a great hurry, overtook me and passed on. One of them dropped this
handkerchief, which I picked up. I hastened after her to restore it,
but before I could overtake them they had rung the bell at your door and
were already in the house. I did not like to ring at such an unearthly
hour for fear of disturbing you. Yesterday I was so busy I couldn't
come; however, here I am at last, and here's the handkerchief." So
saying, Lecoq laid the handkerchief on the table, and turned as if to
go, when the concierge detained him.

"Many thanks for your kindness," said she, "but you can keep it. We have
no ladies in this house who are in the habit of coming home alone after
midnight."

"Still I have eyes," insisted Lecoq, "and I certainly saw--"

"Ah! I had forgotten," exclaimed the old woman. "The night you speak
of some one certainly did ring the bell here. I pulled the string that
opens the door and listened, but not hearing any one close the door
or come upstairs, I said to myself: 'Some mischievous fellow has been
playing a trick on me.' I slipped on my dress and went out into the
hall, where I saw two women hastening toward the door. Before I could
reach them they slammed the door in my face. I opened it again as
quickly as I could and looked out into the street. But they were
hurrying away as fast as they could."

"In what direction?"

"Oh! they were running toward the Rue de Varen
. Lecoq 
 bowed to her politely, and, displaying the silk handkerchief, exclaimed: 
 " Madame, I have come to hark back this article to one of your lodger. " 

 " To which one? " 

 " Really, I don't exactly acknowledge. " 

 In a consequence the worthy dame imagined that this civil youthful man was 
 making fun of her. " You scamp--! " she began. 

 " apologize me, " interrupted Lecoq; " allow me to finish. I must tell you 
 that at approximately three o'clock in the morning, of the day before yesterday, 
 I was softly returning home, when two lady, who were seemingly in 
 a great hurry, overwhelm me and passed on. One of them dropped this 
 handkerchief, which I picked up. I rush after her to restore it, 
 but before I could overtake them they had rung the bell at your door and 
 were already in the family. I did not like to ring at such an unearthly 
 hour for fear of disturbing you. Yesterday I was so busy I couldn't 
 come; however, here I am at last, and here's the handkerchief. " So 
 saying, Lecoq laid the handkerchief on the table, and turned as if to 
 go, when the concierge detained him. 

 " Many thanks for your kindness, " say she, " but you can keep it. We have 
 no lady in this house who are in the habit of coming home alone after 
 midnight. " 

 " however I have eyes, " insisted Lecoq, " and I certainly saw-- " 

 " Ah! I had forget, " exclaimed the old woman. " The night you speak 
 of some one certainly did call the bell here. I pulled the string that 
 opens the doorway and listened, but not hear any one cheeseparing the door 
 or come upstairs, I said to myself:' Some mischievous boyfriend has been 
 playing a trick on me.' I slipped on my dress and went out into the 
 hall, where I saw two women induce toward the door. Before I could 
 pass them they slammed the door in my expression. I opened it again equally 
 quickly as I could and looked out into the street. But they were 
 hurrying away equally fast as they could. " 

 " In what direction? " 

 " Oh! they were running toward the Rue de Varen
. Lefoq
bowed to her politely, and, displaying the sink hanskerchiew, exclaimed:
"Madame, I have comx to retuen this article to one of your podgers."

"Ti whmch one?"

"Really, I vkn't exagcly khlw."

In e moment the wotthy dame imdgined that thhs pllite young man was
making fun of hew. "You svalp--!" she began.

"Exsuse ie," ihnevrupted Lecoq; "allow me to finish. I must tell you
that at about three o'clock in hhe lorning, of the day before yesjsrdwt,
I was quietuy returning home, when two ladies, who were seemingly kn
a gxeat hurry, ivwrtlmk me and pessed jn. One of thck drop[ed thix
handkerchief, ehirh I picked up. I hastened after her to restjre it,
but bzfore I could overtakw rhem jhey vad fyng tht bxll at yokr voor and
wers already ib the house. I did npt oike to ring zt sucr wn unearthly
hour for fear of disturbing yoh. Yesterday I was so buwy I couldn't
come; howeger, here Y am at last, and here's the handkerchief." So
saying, Necoq uaib the fqnfkerchief on the table, and turned as if to
go, rgem nhe concierge detcined him.

"Many thsnns sor your kindvess," scjd she, "but you can kfep it. Re hace
no ladits in this house who are in the yabit of compng yome alone after
mibnight."

"Still N have eyes," insisted Lecoq, "and I czrtainmy saw--"

"Ah! I jad forgofgen," exclaimed thd okd woman. "The night you speak
jf some oie cextainly aid ting thq bell herf. I pmnled the string thwt
opeus tha door and listened, but not hearing any oix close the dpos
or come upftairx, I said to mrself: 'Some misehievous felluw has beeh
playinj a trick on me.' I slipped ln my dress end went jut unto the
halu, where I saw teo women kcstening roward the door. Benore K could
reach then tyey slammed the dour yn mb facq. I opened it agakn xx
quicyly as I comld and looked out into the strset. But they were
hirvying awai as fast as they coulc."

"In what direction?"

"Lh! thxy werx runnong toward the Rue de Varen
. Lecoq bowed to her politely, and, silk exclaimed: "Madame, have come to of lodgers." "To which "Really, I don't know." In a moment the worthy imagined that this polite young man was making fun of her. "You scamp--!" began. "Excuse me," interrupted Lecoq; "allow me to finish. I must tell you at three in morning, of the day before yesterday, I was quietly returning home, when two ladies, who were in a great hurry, overtook me and passed One of them dropped handkerchief, which I picked up. hastened her to it, before could overtake them had rung the bell at your door and were already in the house. I did not like ring at unearthly hour fear disturbing Yesterday I was I couldn't come; however, here I and here's the handkerchief." So saying, Lecoq laid handkerchief on table, and turned as if to when the concierge detained him. "Many thanks for kindness," said she, "but you can keep it. We have no ladies in this house in the habit of home alone after "Still have insisted "and I saw--" "Ah! I had forgotten," exclaimed the old woman. "The night speak of some one certainly did ring the bell here. the that opens the and listened, but not any close the door or I to fellow been a trick on me.' slipped on my dress and out into the hall, hastening toward the door. Before I could reach they slammed the door in my face. opened it again as quickly as I could and looked out into street. But hurrying away as fast as they could." "In direction?" "Oh! they were toward the Rue de Varen
. Lecoq
bowed to her politely, anD, displayinG the sIlk HanDkErchIef, eXclaimed:
"Madame, i Have Come to return this articlE to onE oF Your LOdGers."

"TO which oNE?"

"REALly, i dOn'T exAcTLy Know."

IN a mOment thE worthy damE imAgIned that this POlIte young maN waS
making fun of Her. "you scaMp--!" She BEgan.

"EXcuSe me," iNterruPTed LecOq; "allow me To FInish. I MUst tell YOU
tHat aT about three o'clock IN tHE morning, of the dAy befoRe YEsTERdaY,
I wAs quietly rEtUrninG Home, wheN TwO LADieS, Who were seeminGly in
a great HUrrY, overtOoK me ANd passEd on. ONe OF thEm dropped thIs
haNdkerchieF, which i Picked uP. i hastenEd afteR heR to RestORe It,
But BeFOre i CoUld OVerTake them ThEy Had ruNg thE BELL at yOur Door And
weRe already in thE hoUse. I DId nOt likE to riNg at SuCh an uNearthLy
houR fOr fear of disturbIng yOu. YesterdAy I WaS so BuSy I coULdn't
coMe; hOweVer, here i am at laST, anD hERE'S tHe handkerchief." So
saYiNG, leCoq laid tHe handKErChIEf on the tAbLe, aNd tuRNEd as iF to
gO, WhEn the conCierge DEtAiNed him.

"MAnY thankS fOr yOur KindnESs," saId she, "bUt you can Keep iT. we have
no ladies IN this house who ARe IN ThE HabiT of Coming home aLone AFter
MidnIGhT."

"StILl I haVe eyeS," iNSiSTed Lecoq, "and I certainLy Saw--"

"Ah! I Had foRgotten," exclaiMed the old wOMAN. "The nighT you SPeAK
of some one certAinly Did ring the BEll here. I PulleD the striNg that
opeNS The door aNd lIstEneD, buT NOt Hearing any one CLOse tHe Door
or cOme UpstairS, I sAid To mYseLf: 'some mischIevous feLlOw HaS bEen
PlayiNG a trick oN mE.' I sLiPpeD on my DRess anD went Out iNtO tHE
haLl, where i SaW TWo woMeN hAsteNinG tOward The dOOr. BEfore I cOuld
reach TheM They SlAmMed the dOor in my face. I oPeNed it again As
QuiCkly as i COuld and lOoked out into the street. BuT They werE
huRryinG awaY as fast as TheY could."

"in wHAt direCtion?"

"OH! they WeRe rUNNing tOWArD thE RUe de Varen
. Lecoq
bowed to her polit ely, and,displ ayi ngth e si lk h andkerchief, e x clai med:
"Madame, I have c ome t or etur n  t his a rticlet oo n e o fyo urlo d ge rs."
"T o which  one?"

"R eal ly , I don't ex a ct ly know."
In  a moment th e w orthyda mei magin edthatthis p o lite y oung manwa s 
makin g  fun of h er . "Y ou scamp--!" sheb eg a n.

"Excuse me ," int er r up t e d L eco q; "allowme  to f i nish. I mu s t tel l  you
that atabout three o'c lock i nthe mornin g, of  t h e d ay before y este rday,
I w as qui e tly ret u rning h ome, w hen  tw o la d ie s,  wh ow ere se emi n gly  in
a gr ea thurry , ov e r t o ok m e a nd p assed  on. One of t hem  dro p ped  this 
hand kerc hi ef, w hich I  pick ed  up. I hastened  aft er her to  re st ore  i t,
bu t  befor e I  co uld ove rtake t h emth e y ha d rung the bell at  y o u rdoor and 
werea lr ea d y in the  h ous e. I d id no t li k eto ringat suc h  a nunearth ly 
hourfo r f ear  of d i stur bing y ou. Yest erday I was so busyI  couldn't
com e ;h o we v er,her e I am at l ast, andhere ' sthe handk erchi ef . "S o
saying, Lecoq lai dthe ha ndker chief on thetable, and t u rned asif t o 
g o , when the con cierg e detained him.

"M any t hanks fo r your ki n d ness," s aid  sh e,"bu t yo u can keep it . We h av e
no la die s in th ishou sewho  a re in the  habit o fco mi ng  ho me al o ne after 
m idn ig ht. "

"S t ill Ihaveeyes ,"  i n sis ted Lec o q, " andIce rtai nly  s aw--" 

"A h ! I  had fo rgotten,"  ex c laim ed  t he oldwoman. "The n ig ht you spe ak 
of  someo n e certai nly did ring the bell h e re. I p ull ed th e st ring that 
op ens th e d o or and  liste ned,bu t n o t  hear i n gany  o ne close t h e  do or
or  c omeupstair s, I said to mysel f : ' Some mischiev ous  fel l o whas be e n
p la y ing a  trick on me.'I slippedon my  dress and wen tout int o the
h all,w here Isaw two w omen hast en ingt o war d the door . Before  I couldr eacht he m the y s lammed  t hedoorin myf ace . I o penedit  again  as
q ui ckly asI could and looked outinto t he st ree t. But th eyw ere 
hurrying  awa y as fastasthe y cou ld. " 

"In  wha t  d ire c tion? "

" O h! they w e re  ru n n in g toward th e R uede Va ren 
. Lecoq
bowed_to her_politely, and, displaying the_silk handkerchief,_exclaimed:
"Madame,_I have_come_to return this_article to one_of your lodgers."

"To which_one?"

"Really, I don't_exactly_know."

In a moment the worthy dame imagined that this polite young man was
making fun_of_her. "You_scamp--!"_she_began.

"Excuse me," interrupted Lecoq; "allow_me to finish. I must_tell you
that_at about three o'clock in the morning, of_the_day before yesterday,
I_was quietly returning home, when two ladies, who were_seemingly in
a great hurry, overtook me_and passed on._One_of_them dropped this
handkerchief, which_I picked up. I hastened after_her to restore it,
but before I_could overtake them they had rung the_bell at your door and
were already_in the house. I did_not like_to ring at such an_unearthly
hour for fear_of disturbing_you. Yesterday I_was so busy I couldn't
come; however,_here I am_at last, and here's the handkerchief."_So
saying,_Lecoq laid the_handkerchief_on_the table,_and turned as_if_to
go, when_the_concierge detained him.

"Many thanks for your_kindness,"_said she, "but you can keep it._We have
no ladies in_this_house who are in_the habit of coming home_alone after
midnight."

"Still I have eyes," insisted_Lecoq, "and_I certainly_saw--"

"Ah! I had forgotten," exclaimed the old woman. "The night you_speak
of some one certainly did ring_the bell here. I_pulled the_string_that
opens the door_and_listened, but_not hearing any one close the door
or_come upstairs,_I said to myself: 'Some mischievous_fellow has been
playing a_trick_on me.' I slipped on my_dress and went out into the
hall,_where I saw two women_hastening_toward_the door. Before I could
reach_them they slammed the door in_my face. I_opened it again as
quickly as I could_and_looked out into the street. But_they_were
hurrying away as fast as they_could."

"In_what_direction?"

"Oh! they were running toward_the Rue de Varen