"To-morrow is the trial. But there is no doubt, is there, Monsieur Bernardet? Pradès is condemned in advance!" "He has confessed, it is an accomplished fact," Bernardet replied, pocketing his change. "_Au revoir_ and thanks, Monsieur Bernardet." And the newsboy, going on his way, cried out: "Ask for _Lutèce_--The Rovère trial! The affair to-morrow! Paul Rodier's inquest on the eye of the dead man!" His voice was at last drowned in the noise of tramways and cabs. M. Bernardet hurried on. The little ones would have become impatient, yes, yes, waiting for him, and asking for him around the table at home. He looked at the paper which he had bought. Paul Rodier, in regard to the question which he, Bernardet, had raised, had interviewed savants physiologists, psychologists, and in good journalistic style had published, the evening before the trial, the result of his inquest. M. Bernardet read as he hastened along the long titles in capitals in large head lines. "A Scientific Problem Àpropos of the Rovère Affair!" "Questions of Medical Jurisprudence!" "The Eye of the Dead Man!" "Interviews and Opinions of MM. Les Docteurs Brouardel, Roux, Duclaux, Pean, Robin, Pozzi, Blum, Widal, Gilles de la Tourette"---- Bernardet turned the leaves. The interviews filled two pages at least in solid columns. "So much the better! So much the better!" said the police officer enchanted. And hastening along even faster, he said to himself: "I am going to read all that to the children; yes, all that--it will amuse them--life is a romance like any other! More incredible than any other! And these questions; the unknown, the invisible, all these problems--how interesting they are! And the mystery--so amusing!" JULES CLARETIE of the French Academy; Mrs. Carlton A. Kingsbury, Translator. Transcriber's Notes: For reasons unknown, the chapter headings show no Chapter XII and no Chapter XV. The chapter headings were left unchanged. I am told that both a copy of the physical book and the copy at The Interne Archive have the same Chapter numbering sequence. Passages in italics are indicated by _underscores_. Small caps have been replaced with ALL CAPS text. On page 15, a quotation mark was placed before "But since you". On page 15, a quotation mark was placed before "But I am nothing". On page 35, "in so unforseen" was replaced with "in so unforeseen". On page 38, "the wordly magistrate" was replaced with "the worldly magistrate". On page 40, the quotation mark after "which he wished to" was removed. On page 40, "the study of M. Rovèro" was replaced with "the study of M. Rovère". On page 42, "to be exact, thirty-six" was replaced with "to be exact, twenty-six years". On page 43, "14th of June, 1848" was replaced with "14th of June, 1868". On page 46, "devination" was replaced with "divination". On page 49, "reëntered the salon" was replaced with "reentered the salon".