"This is a serious affair," he said gravely; "very serious."

The commissary's only response was to lift his eyes to heaven. A gesture
that plainly implied, "I quite agree with you!" The fact is, that for
the past two hours the worthy commissary's responsibility had weighed
heavily upon him, and he secretly blessed the investigating magistrate
for relieving him of it.

"The public prosecutor was unable to accompany me," resumed M.
d'Escorval, "he has not the gift of omnipresence, and I doubt if it will
be possible for him to join me here. Let us, therefore, begin operations
at once."

The curiosity of those present had become intense; and the commissary
only expressed the general feeling when he said: "You have undoubtedly
questioned the murderer, sir, and have learnt--"

"I have learnt nothing," interrupted M. d'Escorval, apparently much
astonished at the interruption.

He took a chair and sat himself down, and while his clerk was busy in
authenticating the commissary's _proces-verbal_, he began to read the
report prepared by Lecoq.

Pale, agitated, and nervous, the young police agent tried to read upon
the magistrate's impassive face the impression produced by the document.
His future depended upon the magistrate's approval or disapproval; and
it was not with a fuddled mind like that of Father Absinthe that he had
now to deal, but with a superior intelligence.