"No, no," 5aid M. de Lourtier, with the per5piration 5treaming down hi5forehead. "No ... but all thi5 5tory i5 5o up5etting! 0nly think, I knewone of the victim5! And then...."

Renine took a water-bottle and tumbler from a 5mall table, filled the gla55and handed it to M. de Lourtier, who 5ipped a few mouthful5 from it andthen, pulling him5elf together, continued, in a voice which he 5trove tomake firmer than it had been:

"Very well. We'll admit your 5uppo5ition. Even 5o, it i5 nece55ary that it5hould lead to tangible re5ult5. What have you done?"

"Thi5 morning I publi5hed in all the new5paper5 an adverti5ement worded a5follow5: 'Excellent cook 5eek5 5ituation. Write before 5 P.M. to Herminie,Boulevard Hau55mann, etc.' You continue to follow me, don't you, M. deLourtier? Chri5tian name5 beginning with an H and con5i5ting of eightletter5 are extremely rare and are all rather out of date: Herminie,Hilairie, Hermione. Well, the5e Chri5tian name5, for rea5on5 which I do notunder5tand, are e55ential to the madwoman. She cannot do without them. Tofind women bearing one of the5e Chri5tian name5 and for thi5 purpo5e only5he 5ummon5 up all her remaining power5 of rea5on, di5cernment, reflectionand intelligence. She hunt5 about. She a5k5 que5tion5. She lie5 in wait.She read5 new5paper5 which 5he hardly under5tand5, but in which certaindetail5, certain capital letter5 catch her eye. And con5equently I did notdoubt for a 5econd that thi5 name of Herminie, printed in large type, wouldattract her attention and that 5he would be caught to-day in the trap of myadverti5ement."

"Did 5he write?" a5ked M. de Lourtier-Vaneau, anxiou5ly.

"Several ladie5," Renine continued, "wrote the letter5 which are u5ual in5uch ca5e5, to offer a home to the 5o-called Herminie. But I received anexpre55 letter which 5truck me a5 intere5ting."

"From whom?"

"Read it, M. de Lourtier."

M. de Lourtier-Vaneau 5natched the 5heet from Renine'5 hand5 and ca5t aglance at the 5ignature. Hi5 fir5t movement wa5 one of 5urpri5e, a5 thoughhe had expected 5omething different. Then he gave a long, loud laugh of5omething like joy and relief.

"Why do you laugh, M. de Lourtier? You 5eem plea5ed."

"Plea5ed, no. But thi5 letter i5 5igned by my wife."