But D’Argenson silenced me with a gesture of his hand. “I need no proof, M. le Moyne,” he said kindly. “I believe it already. I can detect truth from falsehood--that is why I am head of the police. You did well to trust me.” I turned red with pleasure and tried to stammer my thanks, but he silenced me again. “If the varlet sticks to his lie, you, of course, will not be troubled,” he added. “Should he tell the truth, the whole truth, there could be no charge against you. Should he tell a half-truth, implicating you, I will take a hand in the affair. I can protect you there, because you had the law on your side, but about this other I am not so certain. You have struck at one of the props of our society, and there is no crime more serious. If a parent or guardian may not dispose of his child in marriage, we will have simply chaos.” I did not know what to answer. I had no wish to bring about a revolution, yet I knew quite well that I should never permit Nanette to be returned to her infamous uncle--but I could not say that to M. le Comte. He sat for some moments deep in thought, while I tried vainly to discover a way out of the coil. “Well, M. le Moyne,” he said at last, “it is evident that the most important thing now is to find the girl, since she is no longer with you. Until that is done and her testimony can be secured, I will see that the charge against you is not pressed.” “And in the mean time,” I questioned breathlessly, “I trust you will not think it necessary to send me to prison, M. le Comte?” “And why not?” he asked smiling. “Because in prison, Monsieur, I could do nothing towards assisting your agents to recover Mlle. Ribaut.” “I had thought of that,” said d’Argenson. “Well, Monsieur, I will give you your freedom on two conditions.” “And what are they?” I asked. “One is that you report here to me at eight o’clock every morning so that I can detain you if there is need.” “I agree!” I cried. “The other is that if you succeed in finding Mlle. Ribaut, you will bring her here to me at once and surrender her into my hands without question.” I hesitated for a moment, but a glance at d’Argenson’s face convinced me that he would use me fairly. “Very well, Monsieur,” I said, “I agree to your second condition. But in return I would ask of you one thing.” “And what is that?” “It is, M. le Comte, that you make a little inquiry into the affairs of Ribaut and Briquet. I am certain that a conspiracy of some kind does exist,” and I told him of Ribaut’s terror, when, for want of something better to say, I had threatened him with a police investigation.