“All goes well,” he muttered, “and we shall succeed.  It’s seldom that a campaign which commences so well ends badly.  If Job is at the wine merchant’s, and if one of my men has succeeded in his search, the crime of Valfeuillu is solved, and in a week people will have forgotten it.”

He stopped short on reaching the foot of the street opposite the church.

“I must ask you to pardon me,” said he to the old justice, “for hurrying you on so and making you one of my trade; but your assistance might have been very useful at Madame Charman’s, and will be indispensable when we get fairly on Tremorel’s track.”

They went across the square and into the wine shop at the corner of the Rue des Martyrs.  Its keeper was standing behind his counter turning wine out of a large jug into some litres, and did not seem much astonished at seeing his new visitors.  M. Lecoq was quite at home (as he was everywhere), and spoke to the man with an air of easy familiarity.

“Aren’t there six or eight men waiting for somebody here?” he asked.

“Yes, they came about an hour ago.”

“Are they in the big back room?”

“Just so, Monsieur,” responded the wine merchant, obsequiously.

He didn’t exactly know who was talking to him, but he suspected him to be some superior officer from the prefecture; and he was not surprised to see that this distinguished personage knew the ins and outs of his house.  He opened the door of the room referred to without hesitation.  Ten men in various guises were drinking there and playing cards.  On M. Lecoq’s entrance with M. Plantat, they respectfully got up and took off their hats.

“Good for you, Job,” said M. Lecoq to him who seemed to be their chief, “you are prompt, and it pleases me.  Your ten men will be quite enough, for I shall have the three besides whom I sent out this morning.”

M. Job bowed, happy at having pleased a master who was not very prodigal in his praises.

“I want you to wait here a while longer,” resumed M. Lecoq, “for my orders will depend on a report which I am expecting.”  He turned to the men whom he had sent out among the upholsterers: 

“Which of you was successful?”

“I, Monsieur,” replied a big white-faced fellow, with insignificant mustaches.

“What, you again, Palot? really, my lad, you are lucky.  Step into this side room—­first, though, order a bottle of wine, and ask the proprietor to see to it that we are not disturbed.”

These orders were soon executed, and M. Plantat being duly ensconced with them in the little room, the detective turned the key.

“Speak up now,” said he to Palot, “and be brief.”

“I showed the photograph to at least a dozen upholsterers without any result; but at last a merchant in the Faubourg St. Germain, named Rech, recognized it.”

“Tell me just what he said, if you can.”