The two last depositions awakened in M. Daburon’s mind some slight gleams of hope.  In the midst of darkness, the humblest rush-light acquires brilliancy.

“I will go at once to Bougival, sir, if you approve of this step,” suggested Gevrol.

“Perhaps you would do well to wait a little,” answered M. Daburon.  “This man was seen on Sunday morning; we will inquire into Widow Lerouge’s movements on that day.”

Three neighbours were called.  They all declared that the widow had kept her bed all Sunday.  To one woman who, hearing she was unwell, had visited her, she said, “Ah!  I had last night a terrible accident.”  Nobody at the time attached any significance to these words.

“The man with the rings in his ears becomes more and important,” said the magistrate, when the woman had retired.  “To find him again is indispensable:  you must see to this, M. Gevrol.”

“Before eight days, I shall have him,” replied the chief of detective police, “if I have to search every boat on the Seine, from its source to the ocean.  I know the name of the captain, Gervais.  The navigation office will tell me something.”

He was interrupted by Lecoq, who rushed into the house breathless.  “Here is old Tabaret,” he said.  “I met him just as he was going out.  What a man!  He wouldn’t wait for the train, but gave I don’t know how much to a cabman; and we drove here in fifty minutes!”

Almost immediately, a man appeared at the door, whose aspect it must be admitted was not at all what one would have expected of a person who had joined the police for honour alone.  He was certainly sixty years old and did not look a bit younger.  Short, thin, and rather bent, he leant on the carved ivory handle of a stout cane.  His round face wore that expression of perpetual astonishment, mingled with uneasiness, which has made the fortunes of two comic actors of the Palais-Royal theatre.  Scrupulously shaved, he presented a very short chin, large and good natured lips, and a nose disagreeably elevated, like the broad end of one of Sax’s horns.  His eyes of a dull gray, were small and red at the lids, and absolutely void of expression; yet they fatigued the observer by their insupportable restlessness.  A few straight hairs shaded his forehead, which receded like that of a greyhound, and through their scantiness barely concealed his long ugly ears.  He was very comfortably dressed, clean as a new franc piece, displaying linen of dazzling whiteness, and wearing silk gloves and leather gaiters.  A long and massive gold chain, very vulgar-looking, was twisted thrice round his neck, and fell in cascades into the pocket of his waistcoat.

M. Tabaret, surnamed Tirauclair, stood at the threshold, and bowed almost to the ground, bending his old back into an arch, and in the humblest of voices asked, “The investigating magistrate has deigned to send for me?”

“Yes!” replied M. Daburon, adding under his breath; “and if you are a man of any ability, there is at least nothing to indicate it in your appearance.”