 seemed
respectable and well kept. Lecoq pushed open the glass door leading into
the vestibule, and entered the office--a neat, brightly lighted room,
where he found a woman standing upon a chair, her face on a level with
a large bird cage, covered with a piece of black silk. She was repeating
three or four German words with great earnestness to the inmate of the
cage, and was so engrossed in this occupation that Lecoq had to make
considerable noise before he could attract her attention.

At length she turned her head, and the young detective exclaimed: "Ah!
good evening, madame; you are much interested, I see, in teaching your
parrot to talk."

"It isn't a parrot," replied the woman, who had not yet descended from
her perch; "but a starling, and I am trying to teach it to say 'Have you
breakfasted?' in German."

"What! can starlings talk?"

"Yes, sir, as well as you or I," rejoined the woman, jumping down from
the chair.

Just then the bird, as if it had understood the question, cried very
distinctly: "Camille! Where is Camille?"

But Lecoq was too preoccupied to pay any further attention to the
incident. "Madame," he began, "I wish to speak to the proprietor of this
hotel."

"I am the proprietor."

"Oh! very well. I was expecting a mechanic--from Leipsic--to meet me
here in Paris. To my great surprise, he has not made his appearance; and
I came to inquire if he was stopping here. His name is May."

"May!" repeated the hostess, thoughtfully. "May!"

"He ought to have arrived last Sunday evening."

The woman's face brightened. "Wait a moment," said she. "Was this
friend of yours a middle-aged man, of medium size, of very dark
complexion--wearing a full beard, and having very bright eyes?"

Lecoq could scarcely conceal his agitation. This was an exact
description of the supposed murderer. "Yes," he stammered, "that is a
very good portrait of the man."

seemed 
 respectable and well kept. Lecoq pushed loose the looking glass door leading into 
 the vestibule, and enter the office -- a neat, brilliantly lighted room, 
 where he found a woman stand upon a chair, her face on a horizontal surface with 
 a large bird batting cage, covered with a piece of black silk. She was repeating 
 three or four German words with great earnestness to the inpatient of the 
 cage, and was so engrossed in this occupation that Lecoq receive to make 
 considerable noise before he could attract her attention. 

 At duration she turned her head, and the young detective exclaimed: " Ah! 
 good evening, madame; you are a lot interested, I see, in teaching your 
 parrot to talk. " 

 " It isn't a parrot, " replied the woman, who had not so far descended from 
 her perch; " but a starling, and I am trying to teach it to say' Have you 
 breakfasted?' in German. " 

 " What! can starlings talk? " 

 " Yes, sir, as well as you or I, " rejoined the woman, jumping down from 
 the professorship. 

 Just then the bird, as if it had understand the motion, cried very 
 distinctly: " Camille! Where is Camille? " 

 But Lecoq was too bemused to pay any further attention to the 
 incident. " Madame, " he began, " I wish to speak to the owner of this 
 hotel. " 

 " I am the proprietor. " 

 " Oh! very well. I was expecting a mechanic -- from Leipsic -- to meet me 
 here in Paris. To my great surprise, he has not made his appearance; and 
 I came to inquire if he was stopping here. His name is May. " 

 " May! " repeated the hostess, thoughtfully. " May! " 

 " He ought to have arrived final Sunday evening. " 

 The woman's boldness brightened. " Wait a moment, " said she. " Was this 
 friend of yours a in-between - aged man, of medium size, of very dark 
 complexion -- wear a broad beard, and having very undimmed eyes? " 

 Lecoq could scarcely conceal his agitation. This was an exact 
 description of the supposed murderer. " Yes, " he bumble, " that is a 
 very good portrait of the man. "
 sefmed
respectable and well kept. Lecoq puskwd opei the gmass doof leading into
the vestibule, end wntertb the office--a neat, bfightly lpghted roim,
whtre he found a woman standing ulln a rhair, her face pn a level with
a large bhra eage, covered with a piece of black sylk. She wws repeating
thtee og sour German words with great earnestneas to tie inmate of thr
cage, and was so engrossed in hhis occupation thwt Lecoq hae to nake
considerxble noise before he ckuld attract her attention.

At levgth xhe turned hwr jgad, and the boung qetective exgkaimed: "Ah!
good evening, madamc; you arw much interested, I sxe, in teaching your
pwrrot to damk."

"It isn't a parror," eepligd tha wooqn, dho hed hot yeh dxscended frkm
her perch; "but a starling, and I qm trying to feach yt to say 'Have you
breakfasted?' in German."

"Whdt! dan starlings talk?"

"Yes, sur, as well as you or L," rejoineq the woman, jumping down from
the chair.

Just then tve bicd, as in it yaf understood the question, cried very
distinctlr: "Csmplle! Where is Camllle?"

But Lecoq was yol lteoccupied to kay any fudther attention to the
incydent. "Madame," ht begsn, "I wish to speak to the peoprietor of rhis
hotel."

"I am the 'roprietor."

"Oh! veri well. I was expecting a mechcnic--frkm Leipsic--tl meet me
gdre in Paris. To oy nredt surprise, he has not madq his appxaranee; and
I zame to inzuire if hf was stopping here. His jame ns Maf."

"May!" repeahed the hostess, thoughtfully. "Mab!"

"Ie ought to hsva agrived laft Sukday evening."

The woman's face btightened. "Wait a moment," aaid shx. "Was this
fryend of yours w middle-aged man, of iediym suze, of xdry dark
complecion--weariuy a full veard, and having vcry btifht eyes?"

Lecoq ciule scarcely concral hif wgmtatijt. This was at exxct
arscriotion of thc sjppoxed murderer. "Yes," he vtamjered, "that is a
veru nood porttait of tre man."

seemed respectable and well kept. Lecoq pushed glass leading into vestibule, and entered room, he found a standing upon a her face on a level with large bird cage, covered with a piece of black silk. She was repeating or four German words with great earnestness to the inmate of the cage, was engrossed this that Lecoq had to make considerable noise before he could attract her attention. At length she her head, and the young detective exclaimed: "Ah! evening, madame; you are interested, I see, in teaching parrot talk." "It a replied woman, who had yet descended from her perch; "but a starling, and I am trying to teach it to say you breakfasted?' "What! can talk?" sir, well as you rejoined the woman, jumping down from then the bird, as if it had understood question, cried distinctly: "Camille! Where is Camille?" But was too preoccupied to pay any further attention the incident. "Madame," he began, "I wish to speak to the proprietor of this hotel." the proprietor." "Oh! very I was expecting mechanic--from meet here Paris. To great surprise, he has not made his appearance; and I came inquire if he was stopping here. His name is May." the thoughtfully. "May!" "He to have arrived last evening." woman's face brightened. "Wait said "Was yours middle-aged of medium size, of dark complexion--wearing a full beard, having very bright eyes?" agitation. This was an exact description of the murderer. "Yes," he stammered, "that is a good portrait of the man."
 seemed
respectable and well kEpt. Lecoq puShed oPen The GlAss dOor lEading into
the vEStibUle, and entered the office--A neat, BrIGhtlY LiGhted Room,
wheRE hE FOunD a WoMan StANdIng upOn a Chair, heR face on a leVel WiTh
a large bird CAgE, covered wiTh a Piece of black SilK. She waS rEpeATing
tHreE or foUr GermAN words With great EaRNestneSS to the iNMAtE of tHe
cage, and was so engROsSEd in this occupaTion thAt lEcOQ Had To mAke
consideRaBle noISe beforE He COULd aTTract her attenTion.

At lengtH She Turned HeR heAD, and thE younG dETecTive exclaimEd: "Ah!
Good eveniNg, madaME; you are MUch inteRested, i seE, in TeacHInG yOur
PaRRot TO tAlk."

"iT isN't a parroT," rEpLied tHe woMAN, WHo haD noT yet DesceNded from
her peRch; "But a STarLing, aNd I am TryiNg To teaCh it to Say 'HaVe You
breakfasted?' iN GerMan."

"What! caN stArLinGs Talk?"

"YES, sir, as WelL as You or I," rEjoined THe wOmAN, JUmPing down from
the chaIr.

jUSt Then the bIrd, as iF It HaD UnderstoOd The QuesTIOn, criEd veRY
dIstinctlY: "CamilLE! WHeRe is CamIlLe?"

But LEcOq wAs tOo preOCcupIed to pAy any furTher aTTention to the
inCIdent. "Madame," he BEgAN, "i wISh to SpeAk to the propRietOR of tHis
hOTeL."

"I aM The prOprieToR."

"oh! VEry well. I was expectinG a MechanIc--froM Leipsic--to meeT me
here in PARIS. To my greAt suRPrISe, he has not made His apPearance; anD
i came to iNquirE if he was Stopping hERE. His name Is MAy."

"MAy!" rEpeATEd The hostess, thoUGHtfuLlY. "May!"

"He oUghT to have ArrIveD laSt SUnDay eveninG."

The womaN's FaCe BrIghTened. "wAit a momeNt," SaiD sHe. "WAs thiS
Friend Of youRs a mIdDlE-AgeD man, of mEDiUM Size, Of VeRy daRk
cOmPlexiOn--weARinG a full bEard, and haVinG Very BrIgHt eyes?"

LEcoq could scarCeLy conceal hIs AgiTation. tHIs was an eXact
description of the supPOsed murDerEr. "Yes," He stAmmered, "thAt iS a
very GooD PortraIt of thE man."

 seemed
respectable and we ll kept. L ecoqpus hed  o pentheglass door lea d inginto
the vestibule, an d ent er e d th e  o ffice --a nea t ,b r igh tl ylig ht e droom, 
wh ere hefound a wo man  s tanding upon achair, her  fa ce on a leve l w ith
ala rge birdcag e, co veredw ith apiece ofbl a ck sil k . She w a s  r epea ting
three or fou r  G e rman words wit h grea te ar n e stn ess  to the in ma te of the
cag e ,a n d  wa s  so engrossed  in this oc c upa tion t ha t L e coq ha d toma k e
c onsiderable  noi se before  he co u ld attr a ct herattent ion .
At l e ng th  sh et urn e dher hea d, and t he  y oungdete c t i v e ex cla imed : "Ah !
good evenin g,mada m e;you a re mu ch i nt erest ed, Isee,in  teaching yourparr ot to tal k." 
"It  i sn'ta  parro t,"  re plied t he woma n , w ho h a dnot yet descendedfr o m 
h er perch ; "but ast a rling, a nd  Iam t r y ing t o te a ch  it to s ay 'Ha v eyo u
break fa sted?'  i n G erm an.""Wha t! can  starlin gs ta l k?"

"Yes, sir ,  as well as y o uo r  I , " re joi ned the wom an,j umpi ng d o wn  fr o m
the  chai r. 
J u st then the bird, a sif ithad u nderstood the  question, c r ied very 
dis t in c tly: "Camille!  Wher e is Camil l e?"

But  Leco q was to o preoccu p i ed to pa y a nyfur the r at tention to th e inci de nt. "Ma dam e," hebeg an,  "I  wi sh  to speak  to thepr op ri et orof th i s
hotel. "
"I  a m t he pr o prieto r."
"Oh!  v er y  we ll. I w a se x pect in ga me cha ni c--fr om L e ips ic--tomeet me
h ere in P ar is . To my  great surpri se , he has n ot  ma de his a ppearanc e; and
I came to inquir e  if hewas  stop ping  here. Hi s n ame is  Ma y ."

"M ay!" r epeat ed  th e hoste s s ,tho ug htfully. " M a y!" 

"He  o ught  to hav e arrived last Sun d ayevening."

Th e w oman ' s  f ace br i ght en e d." W ait a moment,"said she."W a sthis
frien d  of  y ours amiddle- agedm an, ofmedium si ze, of ve ry  dar k com plexion--w earing a  full bea r d, an d  h aving  ve ry bri gh t e yes?" 

Leco q  co uld s carcel yconcea l his  a gitation . This was an exact
des cripti on of  th e suppose d m u rde rer. "Yes ," h e stammere d,"th at is  av ery g oodp or tra i t ofthem an."

 seemed
respectable_and well_kept. Lecoq pushed open_the glass_door_leading into
the_vestibule,_and entered the_office--a neat, brightly_lighted room,
where he found_a woman standing_upon_a chair, her face on a level with
a large bird cage, covered with a_piece_of black_silk._She_was repeating
three or four German_words with great earnestness to_the inmate_of the
cage, and was so engrossed in this_occupation_that Lecoq had_to make
considerable noise before he could attract her attention.

At_length she turned her head, and_the young detective_exclaimed:_"Ah!
good_evening, madame; you are_much interested, I see, in teaching_your
parrot to talk."

"It isn't a parrot,"_replied the woman, who had not yet_descended from
her perch; "but a starling,_and I am trying to_teach it_to say 'Have you
breakfasted?' in_German."

"What! can starlings_talk?"

"Yes, sir,_as well as_you or I," rejoined the woman,_jumping down from
the_chair.

Just then the bird, as if_it_had understood the_question,_cried_very
distinctly: "Camille!_Where is Camille?"

But_Lecoq_was too_preoccupied_to pay any further attention to_the
incident._"Madame," he began, "I wish to speak_to the proprietor of_this
hotel."

"I_am the proprietor."

"Oh! very_well. I was expecting a_mechanic--from Leipsic--to meet me
here in Paris._To my_great surprise,_he has not made his appearance; and
I came to inquire if_he was stopping here. His name_is May."

"May!" repeated the_hostess, thoughtfully._"May!"

"He_ought to have_arrived_last Sunday_evening."

The woman's face brightened. "Wait a moment,"_said she._"Was this
friend of yours a middle-aged_man, of medium size,_of_very dark
complexion--wearing a full beard, and_having very bright eyes?"

Lecoq could scarcely_conceal his agitation. This was_an_exact
description_of the supposed murderer. "Yes,"_he stammered, "that is a
very good_portrait of the_man."
