"I could almost swear it. How, unless they were in the habit of coming
to this den, could they have been aware of the existence of this gate?
Could they have discovered it on such a dark, foggy night? No; for I,
who can, without boasting, say that I have good eyes--I did not see it."

"Ah! yes, that is true!"

"These two women, however, came here without hesitating, in a straight
line; and note that to do this, it was necessary for them to cross the
garden diagonally."

The veteran would have given something if he could have found some
objection to offer; but unfortunately he could find none. "Upon my
word!" he exclaimed, "yours is a droll way of proceeding. You are only
a conscript; I am a veteran in the service, and have assisted in more
affairs of this sort than you are years old, but never have I seen--"

"Nonsense!" interrupted Lecoq, "you will see much more. For example, I
can prove to you that although the women knew the exact position of the
gate, the man knew it only by hearsay."

"The proof!"

"The fact is easily demonstrated. Study the man's footprints, and you,
who are very sharp, will see at once that he deviated greatly from the
straight course. He was in such doubt that he was obliged to search for
the gate with his hand stretched out before him--and his fingers have
left their imprint on the thin covering of snow that lies upon the upper
railing of the fence."