Page:Memoirs of Vidocq, Volume 3.djvu/246

 more than sufficient to establish the fact of Court and Raoul having been the actors in this frightful tragedy; but, I was firmly persuaded that they had other crimes besides this, with which to reproach themselves, and that, in order to commit them, they must have been more than two in number. This was a secret of the greatest importance. I determined to exert myself to the utmost to come at the truth; and not to quit them till I induced them to unload their consciences by a full confession of their past misdeeds. On our return to the prison after this meeting, I caused supper to be served for the accused and myself. The porter inquired whether he should place knives on the table.

"Yes, yes!" cried I, "set knives to each gentleman, by all means."

My two guests eat their meals with as great an appearance of appetite, as though they had been the most honest men breathing. When they had drunk a few glasses of wine, I dexterously brought back the conversation to the subject of their crime.

"You are not naturally bad fellows," said I to them, "I'll engage that you have been led into all this by some scoundrel or other; why not own it? From the confession and repentance you displayed at the sight of Fontaine, it is easily seen that you would willingly recall, at the price of your own blood, the violence he received at your hands. And do you not consider that by concealing your accomplices you are responsible for all the crimes they may commit. Many persons who have come forward to depose against you, have declared that you were at least four in number in all your expeditions."

"They were mistaken then," exclaimed Raoul; "I give you my word of honour, M. Jules, that they were; we were never more than three, the other is an old officer of the customs, named Pons GerardGérard [sic]; he lives just on the frontier, in a little village between Capelle and Hirson in the department of the Aisne; but if