Diary fiction; England -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction; Mystery fiction; Short stories, English
“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.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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