The commissary approached Albert.

“You are,” he asked, “Guy Louis Marie Albert de Rheteau de Commarin?”

“Yes, sir.”

The commissary placed his hand upon him, while pronouncing the usual formula:  “M. de Commarin, in the name of the law I arrest you.”

“Me, sir? me?”

Albert, aroused suddenly from his painful dreams, seemed hardly to comprehend what was taking place, seemed to ask himself,—­“Am I really awake?  Is not this some hideous nightmare?”

He threw a stupid, astonished look upon the commissary of police, his men, and M. Tabaret, who had not taken his eyes off him.

“Here is the warrant,” added the commissary, unfolding the paper.

Mechanically Albert glanced over it.

“Claudine assassinated!” he cried.

Then very low, but distinct enough to be heard by the commissary, by one of his officers, and by old Tabaret, he added,—­“I am lost!”

While the commissary was making inquiries, which immediately follow all arrests, the police officers spread through the apartments, and proceeded to a searching examination of them.  They had received orders to obey M. Tabaret, and the old fellow guided them in their search, made them ransack drawers and closets, and move the furniture to look underneath or behind.  They seized a number of articles belonging to the viscount,—­documents, manuscripts, and a very voluminous correspondence; but it was with especial delight that M. Tabaret put his hands on certain articles, which were carefully described in their proper order in the official report: 

1.  In the ante-room, hung with all sorts of weapons, a broken foil was found behind a sofa.  This foil has a peculiar handle, and is unlike those commonly sold.  It is ornamented with the count’s coronet, and the initials A. C. It has been broken at about the middle; and the end cannot be found.  When questioned, the viscount declared that he did not know what had become of the missing end.

2.  In the dressing-room, a pair of black cloth trousers was discovered still damp, and bearing stains of mud or rather of mould.  All one side is smeared with greenish moss, like that which grows on walls.  On the front are numerous rents; and one near the knee is about four inches long.  These trousers had not been hung up with the other clothes; but appear to have been hidden between two large trunks full of clothing.

3.  In the pocket of the above mentioned trousers was found a pair of lavender kid gloves.  The palm of the right hand glove bears a large greenish stain, produced by grass or moss.  The tips of the fingers have been worn as if by rubbing.  Upon the backs of both gloves are some scratches, apparently made by finger-nails.

4.  There were also found in the dressing-room two pairs of boots, one of which, though clean and polished, was still very damp; and an umbrella recently wetted, the end of which was still covered with a light coloured mud.