"She was just bending over it when Coquenil entered"
"'Did you write this?'"
"And when he could think no longer, he listened to the pickpocket"
"'They all swore black and blue that Addison told the truth'"
"A door was opened suddenly and he was pushed into a room"
"'Stand still, I won't hurt you'"
"'There!' he said with a hideous grin, and he handed Tignol the tooth"
"'My dog, my dog!'"
"The confessional box was empty--_Alice was gone!_"
"'You mean that Father Anselm helped her to run away?' gasped Matthieu"
"'No nonsense, or you'll break your arm'"
"'It's the best disguise I ever saw, I'll take my hat off to you on that'"
"'You have ordered handcuffs put on a prisoner _for the last time_'"
"'No, no, no!' he shrieked. 'You dogs! You cowards!'"
"'What's the matter? Your eyes are shut'"
"And a moment later he had carried her safely through the flames"




CHAPTER I

A BLOOD-RED SKY


It is worthy of note that the most remarkable criminal case in which the
famous French detective, Paul Coquenil, was ever engaged, a case of more
baffling mystery than the Palais Royal diamond robbery and of far greater
peril to him than the Marseilles trunk drama--in short, a case that ranks
with the most important ones of modern police history--would never have