 heels, the marks of which
he had so particularly noticed in the snow, with all the attendant signs
of precipitation, terror, and weakness. In reality, social preeminence
belonged to the woman who had left the large, broad footprints behind
her. And not merely was she of a superior rank, but she had also shown
superior energy. Contrary to Lecoq's original idea, it now seemed
evident that she was the mistress, and her companion the servant.

"Is that all, my good fellow?" he asked the driver, who during the last
few minutes had been busy with his horses.

"Yes," replied the cabman, "except that I noticed that the shabbily
dressed woman who paid me had a hand as small as a child's, and in spite
of her anger, her voice was as sweet as music."

"Did you see her face?"

"I just caught a glimpse of it."

"Could you tell if she were pretty, or whether she was a blonde or
brunette?"

So many questions at a time confused the driver. "Stop a minute!" he
replied. "In my opinion she wasn't pretty, and I don't believe she was
young, but she certainly was a blonde, and with plenty of hair too."

"Was she tall or short, stout or slender?"

"Between the two."

This was very vague. "And the other," asked Lecoq, "the neatly dressed
one?"

"The deuce! As for her, I did not notice her at all; all I know about
her is that she was very small."

"Would you recognize her if you met her again?"

"Good heavens! no."

The vehicle was now rolling along the Rue de Bourgogne. Half-way down
the street the driver pulled up, and, turning to Lecoq, exclaimed: "Here
we are. That's the house the hussies went into."

To draw off the silk handkerchief that served him as a muffler, to fold
it and slip it into his pocket, to spring to the ground and enter
the house indicated, was only the work of an instant for the young
detective.

In the concierge's little room he found an old woman knitting
heels, the marks of which 
 he had so particularly comment in the coke, with all the attendant signs 
 of precipitation, panic, and weakness. In world, social preeminence 
 belonged to the womanhood who had leave the large, wide footprints behind 
 her. And not merely was she of a superior membership, but she had also shown 
 superscript energy. Contrary to Lecoq's original idea, it now seemed 
 apparent that she was the mistress, and her companion the servant. 

 " Is that all, my good mate? " he asked the driver, who during the last 
 few minutes had been busy with his horse. 

 " Yes, " replied the cabman, " except that I noticed that the shabbily 
 dressed woman who give me had a hand as small as a child's, and in spite 
 of her wrath, her articulation was as sweet as music. " 

 " Did you see her face? " 

 " I just caught a glimpse of it. " 

 " Could you tell if she were pretty, or whether she was a blonde or 
 brunet? " 

 thus many questions at a prison term confuse the driver. " Stop a minute! " he 
 replied. " In my public opinion she wasn't pretty, and I don't believe she was 
 young, but she certainly was a blonde, and with batch of hair too. " 

 " Was she tall or short, stout or slender? " 

 " Between the two. " 

 This was very vague. " And the other, " asked Lecoq, " the neatly dressed 
 one? " 

 " The deuce! As for her, I did not notice her at wholly; all I know about 
 her is that she was very little. " 

 " Would you acknowledge her if you met her again? " 

 " Good heavens! no. " 

 The vehicle was now rolling along the Rue de Bourgogne. Half - way down 
 the street the driver attract up, and, turning to Lecoq, exclaimed: " Here 
 we are. That's the theater the hussies fail into. " 

 To draw off the silk handkerchief that served him as a silencer, to fold 
 it and steal it into his pocket, to jump to the ground and record 
 the house indicated, was entirely the work of an moment for the young 
 detective. 

 In the concierge's little room he found an old woman knitting
 hefls, the marks of which
he had so particularly nmticed in the rnow, with all the attendant ditns
of precipitation, terror, xnd weaknvss. In reqlitb, social preeminxhce
belokyed tk the xoman who had lgft the larga, broad footprhngs behind
her. And not merely was she os a suprrlor rank, but sre hsq alao shown
superior energy. Contrary tk Lecoq'v original idra, it now seemed
evident thwt sje was the mistresd, and her cimpaguon the servxnt.

"Is that all, my good fellow?" he asked the driver, who duriug the last
deq mltutes had bxen bufy with his mprses.

"Yas," reploed the cabman, "exrept that I noticed that vhe shabbily
dressed roman who pcid me had a hand as wmqll av a whila'w, avd jn slite
of hec anger, her voice was qs sweet as music."

"Dic riu see her fade?"

"I juft caught a glimpse of it."

"Could you tell ix sge were pretty, or whethwr she was a blonde ot
brunette?"

Sj many questions at a time confused the driver. "Stmp a jknuue!" he
reooifd. "In my opinion she wasn't pretty, and I don't fsloene she was
young, bmt she certainly wss a flonde, and wijh plencg kf hair too."

"Was she tall ot shorr, stout ow slrnder?"

"Between the two."

This waw very vague. "Qnd the other," askeb Lecoq, "the ueatly dresxed
one?"

"The deuce! As for ker, I sid not notlce her af all; all I know xbolt
hes is thau she was very smajl."

"Would yiu rzcognize her if yot met her wgain?"

"Nmod heavens! no."

The gehicpe was now rllling along the Rue de Bourgogix. Half-way dowm
tve vtreet tke driyer pulled up, agd, turning to Kecoq, erclaimdd: "Here
we zre. Thav's the house the hussies fgnt into."

To drew off thq siok hqndkercfkef that servec him as c mufdler, to fold
it and slkl it into his picktt, to spring to yhe grjujd agg enter
the hmuse inaocatea, was only bhe worl of an instant for dhe goung
detective.

In tne concierte's littje room he foind an old woman kjittiig
heels, the marks of which he had noticed the snow, all the attendant weakness. reality, social preeminence to the woman had left the large, broad footprints her. And not merely was she of a superior rank, but she had shown superior energy. Contrary to Lecoq's original idea, it now seemed evident that was mistress, her the servant. "Is that all, my good fellow?" he asked the driver, who during the last minutes had been busy with his horses. "Yes," the cabman, "except that noticed that the shabbily dressed who me had hand small a child's, and spite of her anger, her voice was as sweet as music." "Did you see her face?" "I caught a it." "Could tell she pretty, or whether a blonde or brunette?" So many time confused the driver. "Stop a minute!" he "In my she wasn't pretty, and I don't she was young, but she certainly was a and with plenty of hair too." "Was she tall or short, stout or slender?" "Between This was very vague. the other," asked "the dressed "The As for I did not notice her at all; all I know about is that she was very small." "Would you recognize her met again?" "Good heavens! The vehicle was now along Rue de Bourgogne. Half-way street driver turning Lecoq, "Here we are. That's house the hussies went into." draw off the silk a muffler, to fold it and slip it his pocket, to spring to the ground enter the house indicated, was only the work of an instant for young detective. concierge's little room he found an old woman
 heels, the marks of which
he had So particulArly nOtiCed In The sNow, wIth all the attenDAnt sIgns
of precipitation, terRor, anD wEAkneSS. IN realIty, sociAL pREEmiNeNcE
beLoNGeD to thE woMan who hAd left the lArgE, bRoad footprinTS bEhind
her. AnD noT merely was shE of A superIoR raNK, but sHe hAd alsO shown
SUperioR energy. CoNtRAry to LECoq's oriGINaL ideA, it now seemed
evideNT tHAt she was the misTress, aNd HEr COMpaNioN the servanT.

"IS that ALl, my gooD FeLLOW?" he ASked the driver, Who during thE LasT
few miNuTes HAd been Busy wItH His Horses.

"Yes," rePlieD the cabmaN, "excepT That I noTIced thaT the shAbbIly
DresSEd WoMan WhO PaiD Me Had A HanD as small As A cHild's, And iN SPITe
of Her AngeR, her vOice was as sweeT as MusiC."

"did You seE her fAce?"

"I JuSt cauGht a glImpse Of It."

"Could you tell iF she Were prettY, or WhEthEr She waS A blondE or
BruNette?"

So Many queSTioNs AT A TiMe confused the driveR. "STOP a Minute!" he
ReplieD. "in My OPinion shE wAsn'T preTTY, and I Don't BElIeve she wAs
younG, BuT sHe certaInLy was a BlOndE, anD with PLentY of haiR too."

"Was sHe talL Or short, stout or SLender?"

"Between THe TWO."

THIs waS veRy vague. "And tHe otHEr," asKed LECoQ, "thE NeatlY dresSeD
OnE?"

"the deuce! As for her, I diD nOt notiCe her At all; all I know About
her is THAT she was vEry sMAlL."

"would you recognIze heR if you met hER again?"

"GoOd heaVens! no."

ThE vehicle wAS Now rolliNg aLonG thE RuE DE BOurgogne. Half-wAY Down
ThE street The Driver pUllEd uP, anD, tuRnIng to LecoQ, exclaimEd: "heRe
We Are. that's THe house tHe HusSiEs wEnt inTO."

To draW off tHe siLk HaNDkeRchief tHAt SERved HiM aS a muFflEr, To folD
it aND slIp it intO his pockeT, to SPrinG tO tHe grounD and enter
the hOuSe indicateD, wAs oNly the WORk of an inStant for the young
detectiVE.

In the cOncIerge'S litTle room he FouNd an olD woMAn knitTing
 heels, the marks of which 
he had so  part icu lar ly  not iced  in the snow,w ithall the attendant sign s
ofpr e cipi t at ion,terror, an d wea kn es s.In re ality , s ocial p reeminence 
be lo nged to thew om an who had  le ft the large , b road f oo tpr i nts b ehi nd
he r. And not me rely wassh e  of as uperior r an k, b ut she had also s h ow n 
superior ener gy. Co nt r ar y toLec oq's origi na l ide a , it no w  s e e m ede vident that s he was them ist ress,an d h e r comp anion  t h e s ervant.

"I s th at all, m y good fellow? "  he ask ed the  dr ive r, w h odu rin gt hel as t
f e w m inutes h ad  b een b usyw i t h  his  ho rses .

"Y es," repliedthe  cab m an,  "exc ept t hatInotic ed tha t the  s habbily
dressed  wom an who pa idme  ha da han d  as sm all  as  a chil d's, an d  in  s p i t eof her anger, hervo i c ewas as s weet a s  m us i c."

"Di dyou  see h er fa ce?" 
" I just c aughta  g li mpse of  i t."

" Co uld  yo u tel l  ifshe we re prett y, or whether she wa s  a blonde orb ru n e tt e ?"
Somany questi onsa t atime co nfu s ed th e dri ve r ." Stop a minute!" here plied.  "Inmy opinion sh e wasn't p r e t ty, andI do n 't believe she wa s
you ng, but sh e  certain ly wa s a blon de, and w i t h plenty  of  ha irtoo . " 
"Was she tall o r sh or t, stou t o r slend er? "
"Be twe en  the two. "

Thiswa sve ry  va gue." And theot her ,"  as ked L e coq, " the n eatl ydr e sse d
one?" 
" T h e de uc e!  Asfor  h er, I  did not  notice  her at a ll; allIkn ow abou t
her is that  s he was ver ysma ll."
" W ould you  recognize her if you m e t her a gai n?"
"Goo d heavens ! n o."

T hev ehicle  was n ow ro ll ing a longt h eRue  d e Bourgogn e .  Ha lf-wa ydown 
the st reet the driver pu l led  up, and, tur nin g to L ec oq, ex c lai me d : " H e re
we are. That 's the hou se th e hussiesw ent  i nto."
To draw  offt he silk  handkerc hief that  s erve d him  as a muff ler, tofold
it a n d sli p  i t int o h is poc ke t,to sp ring t o  th e gro und an denterthe h ou se indic ated, was only the work  of an  inst ant  for theyou n g
d etective. 

In  the conci erg e's  litt ler oom h e fo u nd  an old w oman knitting
 heels,_the marks_of which
he had so_particularly noticed_in_the snow,_with_all the attendant_signs
of precipitation, terror,_and weakness. In reality,_social preeminence
belonged to_the_woman who had left the large, broad footprints behind
her. And not merely was she_of_a superior_rank,_but_she had also shown
superior energy._Contrary to Lecoq's original idea,_it now_seemed
evident that she was the mistress, and her_companion_the servant.

"Is that_all, my good fellow?" he asked the driver, who_during the last
few minutes had been_busy with his_horses.

"Yes,"_replied_the cabman, "except that_I noticed that the shabbily
dressed woman_who paid me had a hand_as small as a child's, and in_spite
of her anger, her voice was_as sweet as music."

"Did you_see her_face?"

"I just caught a glimpse_of it."

"Could you_tell if_she were pretty,_or whether she was a blonde_or
brunette?"

So many questions_at a time confused the driver._"Stop_a minute!" he
replied._"In_my_opinion she_wasn't pretty, and_I_don't believe_she_was
young, but she certainly was a_blonde,_and with plenty of hair too."

"Was she_tall or short, stout_or_slender?"

"Between the two."

This was_very vague. "And the other,"_asked Lecoq, "the neatly dressed
one?"

"The deuce!_As for_her, I_did not notice her at all; all I know about
her is_that she was very small."

"Would you_recognize her if you_met her_again?"

"Good_heavens! no."

The vehicle_was_now rolling_along the Rue de Bourgogne. Half-way down
the_street the_driver pulled up, and, turning to_Lecoq, exclaimed: "Here
we are._That's_the house the hussies went into."

To_draw off the silk handkerchief that_served him as a muffler,_to_fold
it_and slip it into his_pocket, to spring to the ground_and enter
the house_indicated, was only the work of an_instant_for the young
detective.

In the concierge's little_room_he found an old woman knitting