Thus admonished, Picard drew some long slips of paper from his pocket, and began reading from them as follows: 

“Minutes of evidence collected concerning Louis Trudaine, suspected, on the denunciation of Citizen Superintendent Danville, of hostility to the sacred cause of liberty, and of disaffection to the sovereignty of the people. (1.) The suspected person is placed under secret observation, and these facts are elicited:  He is twice seen passing at night from his own house to a house in the Rue de Clery.  On the first night he carries with him money—­on the second, papers.  He returns without either.  These particulars have been obtained through a citizen engaged to help Trudaine in housekeeping (one of the sort called Servants in the days of the Tyrants).  This man is a good patriot, who can be trusted to watch Trudaine’s actions. (2.) The inmates of the house in the Rue de Clery are numerous, and in some cases not so well known to the Government as could be wished.  It is found difficult to gain certain information about the person or persons visited by Trudaine without having recourse to an arrest. (3.) An arrest is thought premature at this preliminary stage of the proceedings, being likely to stop the development of conspiracy, and give warning to the guilty to fly.  Order thereupon given to watch and wait for the present. (4.) Citizen Superintendent Danville quits Paris for a short time.  The office of watching Trudaine is then taken out of the hands of the undersigned, and is confided to his comrade, Magloire.—­Signed, PICARD.  Countersigned, LOMAQUE.”

Having read so far, the police agent placed his papers on the writing-table, waited a moment for orders, and, receiving none, went out.  No change came over the sadness and perplexity of Lomaque’s face.  He still beat his nails anxiously on the writing-table, and did not even look at the second agent as he ordered the man to read his report.  Magloire produced some slips of paper precisely similar to Picard’s and read from them in the same rapid, business-like, unmodulated tones: 

“Affair of Trudaine.  Minutes continued.  Citizen Agent Magloire having been appointed to continue the surveillance of Trudaine, reports the discovery of additional facts of importance. (1.) Appearances make it probable that Trudaine meditates a third secret visit to the house in the Rue de Clery.  The proper measures are taken for observing him closely, and the result is the implication of another person discovered to be connected with the supposed conspiracy.  This person is the sister of Trudaine, and the wife of Citizen Superintendent Danville.”

“Poor, lost creature! ah, poor, lost creature!” muttered Lomaque to himself, sighing again, and shifting uneasily from side to side, in his mangy old leathern armchair.  Apparently, Magloire was not accustomed to sighs, interruptions, and expressions of regret from the usually imperturbable chief agent.  He looked up from his papers with a stare of wonder.  “Go on, Magloire!” cried Lomaque, with a sudden outburst of irritability.  “Why the devil don’t you go on?”—­“All ready, citizen,” returned Magloire, submissively, and proceeded: