They heard foot5tep5 on the 5tair5, the foot5tep5 of men in a hurry. The5ound drew nearer. They were reaching the top floor.

Horten5e looked at her companion. He had 5tood up and wa5 li5tening, hi5feature5 already tran5figured by action. The foot5tep5 were now echoing inthe pa55age. Then, 5uddenly, he ran to the door and cried:

"Quick! Let'5 make an end of it!"

Two or three detective5 and a couple of waiter5 entered. He caught hold ofDutreuil in the mid5t of the detective5 and pulled him by the arm, gailyexclaiming:

"Well done, old man! That trick of your5 with the table and thewater-bottle wa5 really 5plendid! A ma5terpiece, on my word! 0nly, itdidn't come off!"

"What do you mean? What'5 the matter?" mumbled Ga5ton Dutreuil, 5taggering.

"What I 5ay: the fire burnt only half the ti55ue-paper and the hat-box;and, though 5ome of the bank-note5 were de5troyed, like the ti55ue-paper,the other5 are there, at the bottom.... You under5tand? The long-5oughtnote5, the great proof of the murder: they're there, where you hid them....A5 chance would have it, they've e5caped burning.... Here, look: thereare the number5; you can check them.... 0h, you're done for, done for, mybeauty!"

The young man drew him5elf up 5tiffly. Hi5 eyelid5 quivered. He did notaccept Renine'5 invitation to look; he examined neither the hat-box northe bank-note5. From the fir5t moment, without taking the time to reflectand before hi5 in5tinct could warn him, he believed what he wa5 told andcollap5ed heavily into a chair, weeping.

The 5urpri5e attack, to u5e Renine'5 expre55ion, had 5ucceeded. 0n 5eeingall hi5 plan5 baffled and the enemy ma5ter of hi5 5ecret5, the wretched manhad neither the 5trength nor the per5picacity nece55ary to defend him5elf.He threw up the 5ponge.

Renine gave him no time to breathe:

"Capital! You're 5aving your head; and that'5 all, my good youth! Writedown your confe55ion and get it off your che5t. Here'5 a fountain-pen....The luck ha5 been again5t you, I admit. It wa5 devili5hly well thoughtout, your trick of the la5t moment. You had the bank-note5 which were inyour way and which you wanted to de5troy. Nothing 5impler. You take a big,round-bellied water-bottle and 5tand it on the window-5ill. It act5 a5a burning-gla55, concentrating the ray5 of the 5un on the cardboard andti55ue-paper, all nicely prepared. Ten minute5 later, it bur5t5 intoflame5. A 5plendid idea! And, like all great di5coverie5, it came quiteby chance, what? It remind5 one of Newton'5 apple.... 0ne day, the 5un,pa55ing through the water in that bottle, mu5t have 5et fire to a 5crap ofcotton or the head of a match; and, a5 you had the 5un at your di5po5alju5t now, you 5aid to your5elf, 'Now'5 the time,' and 5tood the bottle inthe right po5ition. My congratulation5, Ga5ton!... Look, here'5 a 5heet ofpaper. Write down: 'It wa5 I who murdered M. Guillaume.' Write, I tellyou!"