“The motive of the crime not robbery!” and he shook Lafcadio in a kind of transport. “The motive of the crime not robbery! Why, then”--he pushed Lafcadio from him, rushed to the other end of the room, fanned himself, struck his forehead, blew his nose--“Why, then, I know--good heavens!--I know why the ruffian murdered him.... Oh! my unfortunate friend! Oh, poor Fleurissoire! So it was true what he said! And I who thought he was out of his mind! Why, then, it’s appalling!” Lafcadio awaited the end of this outburst with astonishment; he was a little irritated; it seemed to him that Julius had no right to evade him in this manner. “I thought that was the very thing you....” “Be quiet! You know nothing about it. And here am I wasting my time with you, spinning these ridiculous fancies!.... Quick! my stick! my hat!” “Where are you off to in such a hurry?” “To inform the police, of course!” Lafcadio placed himself in front of the door. “First of all, explain,” said he imperatively. “Upon my soul, anyone would think you had gone mad.” “It was just now that I was mad.... Oh, poor Fleurissoire! Oh, unfortunate friend! Luckless, saintly victim! His death just comes in time to cut me short in a career of irreverence--of blasphemy. His sacrifice has brought me to reason. And to think that I laughed at him!” He had again begun to pace up and down the room; suddenly he stopped and laying his hat and stick beside the scent bottle on the table, he planted himself in front of Lafcadio: “Do you want to know why the ruffian murdered him?” “I thought it was without a motive.” “To begin with,” exclaimed Julius furiously, “there’s no such thing as a crime without a motive. He was got rid of because he was in possession of a secret ... which he confided to me--an important secret--over-important for him, indeed. They were afraid of him. That’s what it was. There!... Oh! it’s all very well for you to laugh--you understand nothing about matters of faith.” Then, very pale and drawing himself up to his full height: “_I_ am the inheritor of that secret!” “Take care! They’ll be afraid of you next.” “You see how necessary it is to warn the police at once.” “One more question,” said Lafcadio, stopping him again. “No! Let me go. I’m in a desperate hurry. You may be certain that the continual surveillance under which they kept my poor brother and which terrified him to such a degree, will now be transferred to _me_--has now been transferred to me. You have no idea what a crafty set they are. Those people know everything, I tell you. It’s more important than ever that you should go and fetch the body instead of me. Now that I’m being watched as I am, there’s no knowing what mightn’t happen to me. Lafcadio, my dear fellow”--he clasped his hands imploringly--“I’ve no head at this moment, but I’ll make enquiries at the Questura as to how to get a proper authorisation. Where shall I send it to you?”