Now draw your own conclusions."
Father Absinthe was amazed but convinced: and his eyes, heavy with sleep
a few moments before, now opened to their widest extent. "Good heavens!"
he murmured, "if you put it in that way! But I forget; you must have
seen something as you were looking through the shutters."
The young man shook his head. "Upon my honor," he declared, "I saw
nothing save the struggle between the murderer and the poor devil
dressed as a soldier. It was that sentence alone that aroused my
attention."
"Wonderful! prodigious!" exclaimed the astonished old man.
"I will add that reflection has confirmed my suspicions. I ask myself
why this man, instead of flying at once, should have waited and remained
there, at that door, to parley with us."
With a bound, Father Absinthe sprang again to his feet. "Why?" he
interrupted; "because he had accomplices, and he wished to give them
time to escape. Ah! I understand it all now."
A triumphant smile parted Lecoq's lips. "That is what I said to myself,"
he replied, "and now it is easy to verify my suspicions. There is snow
outside, isn't there?"
It was not necessary to say any more. The elder officer seized the
light, and followed by his companion, he hastened to the back door of
the house, which opened into a small garden. In this sheltered enclosure
the snow had not melted, and upon its white surface the dark stains
of numerous footprints presented themselves. Without hesitation,
Lecoq threw himself upon his knees in the snow; he rose again almost
immediately.
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