 Still, I know that he did play a part, and
that is something. I know that one must believe exactly the opposite of
what he said. He talked of his family, his wife and children--hence, he
has neither children, wife, nor family."

Lecoq suddenly checked himself, remembering that he had no time to waste
in conjectures. "What kind of fellow was this drunkard?" he inquired.

"He was tall and stout, with full ruddy cheeks, a pair of white
whiskers, small eyes, a broad flat nose, and a good-natured, jovial
manner."

"How old would you suppose him to be?"

"Between forty and fifty."

"Did you form any idea of his profession?"

"It's my opinion, that what with his soft cap and his heavy brown
overcoat, he must be either a clerk or the keeper of some little shop."

Having obtained this description, which agreed with the result of his
investigations, Lecoq was about to enter the station house when a
sudden thought brought him to a standstill. "I hope this man has had no
communication with this Widow Chupin!" he exclaimed.

The keeper laughed heartily. "How could he have had any?" he responded.
"Isn't the old woman alone in her cell? Ah, the old wretch! She has been
cursing and threatening ever since she arrived. Never in my whole life
have I heard such language as she has used. It has been enough to make
the very stones blush; even the drunken man was so shocked that he went
to the grating in the door, and told her to be quiet."

Lecoq's glance and gesture were so expressive of impatience and wrath
that the keeper paused in his recital much perturbed. "What is the
matter?" he stammered. "Why are you angry?"

"Because," replied Lecoq, furiously, "because--" Not wishing to disclose
the real cause of his anger, he entered the station house, saying that
he wanted to see the prisoner.

Left alone, the keeper began to swear in his turn. "These police agents
are all alike," he grumbled. "They question you, you tell them all they
desire to know; and afterward
Still, I know that he did play a part, and 
 that is something. I acknowledge that one must think exactly the opposite of 
 what he suppose. He talk of his family, his wife and children -- therefore, he 
 has neither children, wife, nor family. " 

 Lecoq abruptly checked himself, remembering that he suffer no time to consume 
 in conjecture. " What kind of fellow was this drunkard? " he inquired. 

 " He was tall and stout, with full ruddy cheek, a pair of white 
 whiskers, little eyes, a broad flat nose, and a full - natured, jovial 
 manner. " 

 " How old would you suppose him to be? " 

 " Between forty and fifty. " 

 " Did you form any idea of his profession? " 

 " It's my opinion, that what with his cushy cap and his heavy brown 
 overcoat, he must be either a clerk or the keeper of some little shop. " 

 Having obtained this description, which agreed with the result of his 
 investigations, Lecoq was about to enter the station house when a 
 sudden thought brought him to a standstill. " I hope this serviceman has had no 
 communication with this Widow Chupin! " he exclaimed. 

 The custodian laugh heartily. " How could he have had any? " he responded. 
 " Isn't the old woman alone in her cellular telephone? Ah, the old poor devil! She has been 
 cursing and threatening ever since she arrive. Never in my whole life 
 have I heard such language as she has used. It has been enough to make 
 the very stones blush; even the drunken valet was so aghast that he run 
 to the grating in the door, and told her to be hushed. " 

 Lecoq's glance and gesture were so expressive of impatience and wrath 
 that the keeper hesitate in his recital much perturbed. " What is the 
 matter? " he bumble. " Why are you angry? " 

 " Because, " replied Lecoq, furiously, " because-- " Not wishing to disclose 
 the real cause of his wrath, he entered the station house, saying that 
 he want to see the prisoner. 

 leave alone, the keeper began to swear in his turn. " These police agent 
 are all alike, " he murmur. " They question you, you tell them all they 
 desire to know; and afterward
 Stlll, I know that he did puay a part, and
tkqt is vomethjng. I knuw that one must believe exartly the ipposite of
what he saia. He talkvd of his fammly, his wife and childrek--kence, me
has ieither childrek, wife, nor xamily."

Lecoq sugddnpy checked himself, remembering that he had nl time to wastg
in cpgjecflrts. "What kind of fellow was this ddunkard?" he inquired.

"Hr was tall and stout, with vull ruddy cheeks, a palr of white
qhishwrs, small eyds, a broad flat nose, ahd a good-natured, jovial
manner."

"Hod old would you sypplve him to bx?"

"Betwevn forty and npfty."

"Did you fotm any idea of hiv peofession?"

"It's my opinimn, that what with ris soft wa' and his heavy brown
ivwrcoaj, he kust ve ditgec a clerk or the keeped of some luttle shop."

Having obuaigvc this descrjption, wrich agreed with the result of his
invesuigatjons, Lecoq was about to enter the station hoose when a
fudden thought brought him to a standstill. "I hope this oan hwr hwd no
communication with this Widow Chupin!" he qsckapmed.

The keeper lamghed heartily. "How clukq he have had any?" hz rssponded.
"Isn't the opd womag alobe in her celk? Ah, the old wretch! She has been
cursing qnd threatening evzr since she arroved. Mever in my whole life
hcve I geard such panguage zr she has used. Ig hss been enough to make
the vewy stones bluxh; even the drunkqn man was so smmcked that he went
ho thg grathng in the door, and told her to be quiet."

Lxroq's glance amd gevture wexe so cxpressive of iipatience and crath
thac the yeeper pauaed in iis recital iuch perturbeg. "What is the
katter?" hq stqmmeeed. "Why xre you angry?"

"Brcause," reilned Lecoq, furiously, "because--" Noj sishing to discoost
tye real cause pf fis ajgxr, he antered the vtatkon nouse, saying thab
he wanyed to see the prisoter.

Lsft alone, the keeprr began ti swear yn his turn. "Tnese police agents
wre anl elike," ne drumbled. "They question you, you tell thel ajl they
desirq to know; and afcerward
Still, I know that he did play and is something. know that one of he said. He of his family, wife and children--hence, he has neither wife, nor family." Lecoq suddenly checked himself, remembering that he had no time waste in conjectures. "What kind of fellow was this drunkard?" he inquired. "He tall stout, full cheeks, a pair of white whiskers, small eyes, a broad flat nose, and a good-natured, jovial "How old would you suppose him to be?" forty and fifty." "Did form any idea of his "It's opinion, that with soft and his heavy overcoat, he must be either a clerk or the keeper of some little shop." Having obtained this which agreed result of investigations, was to enter the when a sudden thought brought him "I hope this man has had no communication this Widow he exclaimed. The keeper laughed heartily. could he have had any?" he responded. "Isn't old woman alone in her cell? Ah, the old wretch! She has been cursing and since she arrived. Never my whole life I such as has used. has been enough to make the very stones blush; even the man was so shocked that he went to the grating door, told her to quiet." Lecoq's glance and were expressive of impatience and the paused much "What the matter?" he stammered. are you angry?" "Because," replied furiously, "because--" Not wishing of his anger, he entered the station house, that he wanted to see the prisoner. alone, the keeper began to swear in his turn. "These police agents all alike," "They question you, you tell them all they to know; and afterward
 Still, I know that he did play a pArt, and
that Is somEthIng. i kNow tHat oNe must believe eXActlY the opposite of
what he saId. He tAlKEd of HIs FamilY, his wifE AnD CHilDrEn--HenCe, HE
hAs neiTheR childrEn, wife, nor fAmiLy."

lecoq suddenlY ChEcked himseLf, rEmembering thAt hE had no TiMe tO Waste
In cOnjecTures. "WHAt kind Of fellow wAs THis druNKard?" he iNQUiRed.

"HE was tall and stout, wITh FUll ruddy cheeks, A pair oF wHItE
WHisKerS, small eyes, A bRoad fLAt nose, aND a GOOD-naTUred, jovial
manNer."

"How old woULd yOu suppOsE hiM To be?"

"BeTween FoRTy aNd fifty."

"Did yOu foRm any idea Of his pROfessioN?"

"it's my opInion, tHat WhaT witH HiS sOft CaP And HIs HeaVY brOwn
overcOaT, hE must Be eiTHER A cleRk oR the KeepeR of some little ShoP."

HavINg oBtainEd thiS desCrIptioN, which AgreeD wIth the result of hIs
inVestigatiOns, leCoq WaS abouT To enteR thE stAtion hoUse when A
SudDeN THOuGht brought him to a stAnDSTiLl. "I hope tHis man HAs HaD No
communIcAtiOn wiTH This WIdow cHuPin!" he excLaimed.

tHe KeEper lauGhEd hearTiLy. "HOw cOuld hE Have Had any?" He responDed.
"IsN'T the old woman alONe in her cell? Ah, THe OLD wREtch! she Has been
cursIng aND thrEateNInG evER sincE she aRrIVeD. never in my whole life
hAvE I hearD such Language as she Has used. It hAS BEen enougH to mAKe
THe very stones blUsh; evEn the drunkEN man was sO shocKed that hE went
to thE GRating in The DooR, anD toLD HeR to be quiet."

LecOQ'S glaNcE and gesTurE were so ExpResSivE of ImPatience aNd wrath
tHaT tHe KeEpeR pausED in his reCiTal MuCh pErturBEd. "What Is the
MattEr?" He STamMered. "WhY ArE YOu anGrY?"

"BEcauSe," rEpLied LEcoq, FUriOusly, "beCause--" Not wIshINg to DiScLose
the Real cause of hiS aNger, he enteReD thE statiON House, sayIng that
he wanted to see the PRisoner.

lefT alonE, the Keeper begAn tO swear In hIS turn. "THese poLice aGeNts
ARE all aLIKe," He gRuMbled. "They qUEStiOn you, YoU telL them alL they
desire to know; aND afTerward
 Still, I know that he did  play a pa rt, a ndtha tis s omet hing. I know t h at o ne must believe exactl y the  o p posi t eof
wh at he s a id . Heta lk edof hi s fam ily , his w ife and ch ild re n--hence, he ha s neitherchi ldren, wife,  no r fami ly ."Lecoq  su ddenl y chec k ed him self, rem em b eringt hat heh a dno t ime to waste
in c o nj e ctures. "Whatkind o ff el l o w w asthis drunk ar d?" h e  inquir e d. " Hew as tall and s tout, withf ull  ruddy  c hee k s, a p air o fw hit e
whiskers,  sma ll eyes,a broa d  flat n o se, and  a goo d-n atu red, jo vi alma n ner . "
"H o w o ld would  y ou  supp oseh i m to b e?" 

"B etwee n forty and f ift y.""Di d you  form  any  i dea o f hisprofe ss ion?"

"It's my  opi nion, tha t w ha t w it h his soft c apand  his he avy bro w n
o ve r c o at , he must be eithe ra cl erk or t he kee p er  o f  some li tt leshop . " 

Hav ingo bt ained th is des c ri pt ion, wh ic h agre ed  wi ththe r e sult  of hi s
invest igati o ns, Lecoq wasa bout to enter th e st a tion  ho use when asudd e n th ough t  b rou g ht hi m toas ta n dstill. "I hope thi sman ha s had  no
communica tion witht h i s WidowChup i n! "  he exclaimed. 

The  keeper la u ghed hea rtily . "How c ould he h a v e had an y?"  he  re spo n d ed .
"Isn't theo l d wo ma n alone  in  her ce ll?  Ah , t heol d wretch!  She has  b ee ncu rsi ng an d  threate ni ngev ersince she ar rived . Ne ve ri n m y whole li f e 
hav eIhear d s uc h lan guag e  as  she ha s used. I t h a s be en  e nough t o make
the ve ry  stones bl us h;even t h e  drunken  man was so shocked tha t  he wen t
t o the  gra ting in t hedoor,and told h er tobe qu ie t." Lecoq ' s  g lan ce  and gestu r e  we re so  e xpre ssive o f impatience and w r ath 
that the kee per  pau s e dinh is rec it a l m u c h perturbed. "W hat is the 
m a tt er?" he st a mme re d. "Why  are yo u ang r y?"

"B ecause,"replied L ec oq,f u rio usly, "bec ause--"Not wishi n g tod is close 
th e real  c aus e ofhis an g er,  he e ntered  t he sta tionho use, say ing that
he wanted to s ee the  pris one r.

Leftalo n e,the keepe r be gan to swe arinhis t urn .  "The se p o li cea gents 
are all alike , "heg r um bled. "They q u est ion y ou, you te ll t hem all they
desi r e to know; and  aft e r war d
 Still,_I know_that he did play_a part,_and
that_is something._I_know that one_must believe exactly_the opposite of
what he_said. He talked_of_his family, his wife and children--hence, he
has neither children, wife, nor family."

Lecoq suddenly checked_himself,_remembering that_he_had_no time to waste
in conjectures._"What kind of fellow was_this drunkard?"_he inquired.

"He was tall and stout, with full_ruddy_cheeks, a pair_of white
whiskers, small eyes, a broad flat nose, and_a good-natured, jovial
manner."

"How old would you_suppose him to_be?"

"Between_forty_and fifty."

"Did you form_any idea of his profession?"

"It's my_opinion, that what with his soft_cap and his heavy brown
overcoat, he must_be either a clerk or the_keeper of some little shop."

Having_obtained this_description, which agreed with the_result of his
investigations,_Lecoq was_about to enter_the station house when a
sudden thought_brought him to_a standstill. "I hope this man_has_had no
communication with_this_Widow_Chupin!" he_exclaimed.

The keeper laughed_heartily._"How could_he_have had any?" he responded.
"Isn't the_old_woman alone in her cell? Ah, the_old wretch! She has_been
cursing_and threatening ever since_she arrived. Never in my_whole life
have I heard such language_as she_has used._It has been enough to make
the very stones blush; even the_drunken man was so shocked that_he went
to the grating_in the_door,_and told her_to_be quiet."

Lecoq's_glance and gesture were so expressive of_impatience and_wrath
that the keeper paused in his_recital much perturbed. "What_is_the
matter?" he stammered. "Why are you_angry?"

"Because," replied Lecoq, furiously, "because--" Not_wishing to disclose
the real cause_of_his_anger, he entered the station_house, saying that
he wanted to see_the prisoner.

Left alone,_the keeper began to swear in his_turn._"These police agents
are all alike," he_grumbled._"They question you, you tell them_all_they
desire_to know; and afterward