"Monsieur," said the commissary of police in a low voice, "Monsieur la
prefet has sent me to tell you some sad news; Monsieur le Vicomte
Charles Keller is dead. The news reached Paris by telegram night
before last, and the two Messieurs Keller, the Comte de Gondreville,
the Marechale Carigliano, in fact the whole family are now at
Gondreville. Abd-el-Kader has resumed the offensive in Africa; the war
is being vigorously carried on. This poor young man was among the
first victims of the renewal of hostilities. You will receive
confidential instructions, so Monsieur le prefet told me, in relation
to the coming election."

"By whom?" asked the sub-prefect.

"If I knew that, the matter would not be confidential," replied the
commissary. "In fact, I think the prefect himself does not know. He
told me that the matter would be a secret one between you and the
ministry."

Then he rode on, after seeing the sub-prefect lay his fingers on his
lips as a warning to keep silence.

"Well, what news from the prefecture?" said the _procureur-du-roi_,
when Goulard returned to the group of the three functionaries.

"Nothing satisfactory," replied Goulard, stepping quickly, as if he
wanted to get away from the others, who now walked silently toward
the middle of the square, somewhat piqued by the manner of the
sub-prefect. There Monsieur Martener noticed old Madame Beauvisage,
the mother of Phileas, surrounded by nearly all the bourgeois on the