had started at the first sight of the corpse, but it was a natural
movement of horror which might have escaped any unconcerned spectator
at being brought into the presence of death in such a hideous form.
After betraying this first and not unnatural sign of emotion,
Gascoigne remained perfectly cool, self-possessed, and unperturbed.

"You see your victim there; now will you confess?" cried the judge,
almost passionately.

"Ledantec's victim, not mine," replied Gascoigne, quietly. Then, as if
in apology to himself, he added, "I could not help speaking, but I
shall say nothing more."

"He is very strong, extraordinarily strong!" cried the judge, his rage
giving place to admiration at the obstinate fortitude of his
prisoner. "In all my experience"--this was to the police and the chief
custodian of the Morgue--"I have never come across a more
cold-blooded, cynical wretch; but he shall not beat me; he shall not
outrage and set the law at defiance; we will bend his spirit yet. Take
him back to the Mousetrap; he shall stay there until he chooses to
speak."

With this unfair threat, which was tantamount to a sentence of
unlimited imprisonment, the judge dismissed his prisoner.

Gascoigne was marched back to the cab; the police-agents ordered him
to re-enter it; one of them took his seat by his side as before, the
other remounted the box. Then the cab started on its journey back to
the Préfecture.