which he feared to utter. The judge said to him, sympathetically: 

 “If you are ill, you may retire for the present.” 

 “No, no, but—-” 

 He stopped, looked sharply at the prisoner, and said: 

 “I ask permission to scrutinize the prisoner at closer range. There is some mystery about him that I must solve.” 

 He approached the accused man, examined him attentively for several minutes, then returned to the witness-stand, and, in an almost solemn voice, he said: 

 “I declare, on oath, that the prisoner now before me is not Arsène Lupin.” 

 A profound silence followed the statement. The judge, nonplused for a moment, exclaimed: 

 “Ah! What do you mean? That is absurd!” 

 The detective continued: 

 “At first sight there is a certain resemblance, but if you carefully consider the nose, the mouth, the hair, the color of skin, you will see that it is not Arsène Lupin. And the eyes! Did he ever have those alcoholic eyes!” 

 “Come, come, witness! What do you mean? Do you pretend to say that we are trying the wrong man?” 

 “In my opinion, yes. Arsène Lupin has, in some manner, contrived to put this poor devil in his place, unless this man is a willing accomplice.” 

 This dramatic dénouement caused much laughter and excitement amongst the spectators. The judge adjourned the trial, and sent for Mon. Bouvier, the gaoler, and guards employed in the prison. 

 When the trial was resumed, Mon. Bouvier and the gaoler examined the accused and declared that there was only a very slight resemblance between the prisoner and Arsène Lupin. 

 “Well, then!” exclaimed the judge, “who is this man? Where does he come from? What is he in prison for?” 

 Two of the prison-guards were called and both of them declared that the prisoner was Arsène Lupin. The judged breathed once more. 

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