“Again; M. Latour asserts that he never saw M. Godin till the day of his arrest, and M. Godin asserts that he never entered M. Latour’s rooms until that day.  I have a photograph and here a phonographic record.  The picture shows M. Latour’s rooms with that gentleman and M. Godin sitting at a table and evidently engaged in earnest conversation.  This cylinder is a record of a very interesting portion of that conversation—­M.  Godin will please not leave the room!”

This last was said as M. Godin started toward the door.  The officer to whom Jenkins had recently spoken laid his hand upon the detective and detained him.  “We may need M. Godin,” Maitland continued, “to explain things to us.

“I invite your attention to the fact that M. Godin has testified that he was assisted in his search for Mr. Darrow’s murderer by certain library slips which he saw M. Latour make out in two different names.  He has also testified that he did not know even the names of any of the books procured on these slips, and that one of them, entitled ‘Poisons, Their Effects and Detection,’ he not only never read, but never even heard of.  I shall show you that all of these books were procured with M. Godin’s knowledge, and that most of them were read by him.  I shall prove to you beyond a doubt that he has not only heard of this particular work on poisons, but that he has read it and placed his unmistakable signature on page 469 thereof beside the identical paragraph which suggested to Mr. Darrow’s murderer the manner of his assassination!” M. Godin started as if he had been stabbed, but quickly regained his self-control as Maitland continued:  “Here is the volume in question.  You will please note the thumb-mark in the margin of page 469.  There is but one thumb in the world that could have made that mark, and that is the thumb you have seen register itself upon this letter.  It is also the thumb that made this paint smutch upon this slip of glass.”

All eyes were turned upon M. Godin.  He was very pale, yet his jaw was firmly set and something akin to a defiant smile played about his handsome mouth.  To say that the audience was amazed is to convey no adequate idea of their real condition.  We felt prepared for anything.  I almost feared lest some sudden turn in the case might cast suspicion upon myself, or even Maitland.  Without apparently noticing M. Godin’s discomfiture, George continued: 

“M.  Godin has testified that he sometimes plays cards, but only for a small stake—­just enough, he says, to make it interesting.  I shall show you that he is a professional gambler as well as a detective.