At the moment when chance informed Don Luis that old Langernault had probably died by foul play, at the moment when chance, by leading him to Hanged Man’s Barn, as he christened it, brought him into the presence of two skeletons, Florence appeared as a murderous vision, as an evil genius who was seen wherever death had passed with its trail of blood and corpses.

“Oh, the loathsome creature!” he muttered, with a shudder.  “How can she have so fair a face, and eyes of such haunting beauty, so grave, sincere, and almost guileless?”

In the church square, outside the inn, Mazeroux, who had returned, was filling the petrol tank of the motor and lighting the lamps.  Don Luis saw the mayor of Damigni crossing the square.  He took him aside.

“By the way, Monsieur le Maire, did you ever hear any talk in the district, perhaps two years ago, of the disappearance of a couple forty or fifty years of age?  The husband’s name was Alfred—­”

“And the wife’s Victorine, eh?” the mayor broke in.  “I should think so!  The affair created some stir.  They lived at Alengon on a small, private income; they disappeared between one day and the next; and no one has since discovered what became of them, any more than a little hoard, some twenty thousand francs or so, which they had realized the day before by the sale of their house.  I remember them well.  Dedessuslamare their name was.”

“Thank you, Monsieur le Maire,” said Perenna, who had learned all that he wanted to know.

The car was ready.  A minute after he was rushing toward Alencon with Mazeroux.

“Where are we going, Chief?” asked the sergeant.

“To the station.  I have every reason to believe, first, that Sauverand was informed this morning—­in what way remains to be seen—­of the revelations made last night by Mme. Fauville relating to old Langernault; and, secondly, that he has been prowling around and inside old Langernault’s property to-day for reasons that also remain to be seen.  And I presume that he came by train and that he will go back by train.”

Perenna’s supposition was confirmed without delay.  He was told at the railway station that a gentleman and a lady had arrived from Paris at two o’clock, that they had hired a trap at the hotel next door, and that, having finished their business, they had gone back a few minutes ago, by the 7:40 express.  The description of the lady and gentleman corresponded exactly with that of Florence and Sauverand.

“Off we go!” said Perenna, after consulting the timetable.  “We are an hour behind.  We may catch up with the scoundrel at Le Mans.”

“We’ll do that, Chief, and we’ll collar him, I swear:  him and his lady, since there are two of them.”

“There are two of them, as you say.  Only—­”

“Only what?”

Don Luis waited to reply until they were seated and the engine started, when he said: 

“Only, my boy, you will keep your hands off the lady.”