left the table and I took his place, face to face with the murderer.

"Monsieur," I said, while he dealt the cards, "may I ask if you are
Monsieur Frederic Taillefer, whose family I know very well at
Beauvais?"

"Yes, monsieur," he answered.

He dropped the cards, turned pale, put his hands to his head and rose,
asking one of the bettors to take his hand.

"It is too hot here," he cried; "I fear--"

He did not end the sentence. His face expressed intolerable suffering,
and he went out hastily. The master of the house followed him and
seemed to take an anxious interest in his condition. My neighbor and I
looked at each other, but I saw a tinge of bitter sadness or reproach
upon her countenance.

"Do you think your conduct is merciful?" she asked, drawing me to the
embrasure of a window just as I was leaving the card-table, having
lost all my money. "Would you accept the power of reading hearts? Why
not leave things to human justice or divine justice? We may escape one
but we cannot escape the other. Do you think the privilege of a judge
of the court of assizes so much to be envied? You have almost done the
work of an executioner."

"After sharing and stimulating my curiosity, why are you now lecturing
me on morality?"