When in the garden, the young man sought for the deepest and most
distinct of the footprints, knelt beside it, and began his experiment,
trembling with anxiety. He first sprinkled upon the impression a fine
coating of dry plaster, and then upon this coating, with infinite care,
he poured his liquid solution drop by drop.

What luck! the experiment was successful! The plaster united in a
homogeneous mass, forming a perfect model of the impression. Thus, after
an hour's labor, Lecoq possessed half a dozen of these casts, which
might, perhaps, be a little wanting in clearness of outline, but which
were quite perfect enough to be used as evidence.

The young detective's alarm had been well founded, for it was already
beginning to rain. Still, he had plenty of time to cover a number of the
footprints with the boxes and pieces of board which Father Absinthe had
collected, thus placing them, as it were, beyond the reach of a thaw.
Now he could breathe. The authorities might come, for the most important
part of his task was completed.




V

It was some distance from the Poivriere to the Rue de Chevaleret, even
by way of the plain, and fully four hours had been occupied by Lecoq and
his colleague in collecting their elements of information.

All this while, the Widow Chupin's abode had remained open, accessible
to any chance visitor. Still, when, on his return, the young police