MOUZON. Monsieur Delorme ought to have known this also: in the life of the vagrant there is one necessity which comes next to hunger and thirst--it is the need of footwear. This is so true that they have sometimes been known to make this need a pretext for demanding an appeal, because the journey to the Court of Appeal is generally made on foot, so that the administration is obliged to furnish shoes, and, as these are scarcely worn during the period of detention, they are in good condition when the man leaves prison. Now the supposed vagrant has a foot very nearly the same size as that of his victim. He has--you yourself have told us--boots which are in a very bad condition. Well, gentlemen, this badly shod vagrant does not take the good strong boots which are in the house! I will add but one word more. If the crime had been committed by a passing stranger--by a professional mendicant--will you tell me why this remarkable murderer follows the road which passes in front of the victim's house--a road on which he would find no resources--a road on which houses are met with only at intervals of two or three miles--when there is, close at hand, another road which runs through various villages and passes numbers of farmhouses, in which it is a tradition never to refuse hospitality to one of his kind? One word more. Why does this vagrant steal family papers which will betray him as the criminal the very first time he comes into contact with the police? No, gentlemen, the criminal is not a vagrant. If you want to find him, you must not look for a man wandering along the highway; you must look for him among those relatives or debtors or friends, who had an interest in his death. VAGRET. This is very true. BUNERAT. I call that admirably logical and extremely lucid. MOUZON. Believe me, the matter is quite simple. If I were intrusted with the examination, I guarantee that within three days the criminal would be under lock and key. VAGRET. Well, my dear colleague, I have a piece of news for you. Monsieur Delorme, who is very unwell, has returned me his brief this afternoon, and it will be intrusted to you. Henceforth the preliminary examination of the Irissary murder will be in your hands. MOUZON. I have only to say that I accept. My duty is to obey. I withdraw nothing of what I have said; within three days the murderer will be arrested. BUNERAT. Bravo! VAGRET. I thank you for that promise in the name of all concerned. I declare that you relieve us of a great anxiety. [_To his wife_] Listen, my dear. Monsieur Mouzon is undertaking the preliminary examination, and he promises us a result before three days are up. MADAME VAGRET. We shall be grateful, Monsieur Mouzon. MADAME BUNERAT. Oh, thank you! VAGRET. Bertha! Tell them to serve dinner--and to send up that old Irrouleguy wine! I will drink to your success, my dear fellow. THE MANSERVANT. Dinner is served.