“These cards, that letter, you have robbed them from some unfortunate person, and have draped (afflublé) yourself in the trappings of your victim! Where is his body?”
This was the working hypothesis which the Juge d’Instruction had formed within himself to account for the general conduct and proceedings of the person under examination.
“Where is whose body?” asked Maitland, in unspeakable surprise.
“Buchanan,” said the Juge d’Instruction. (And to hear the gallantry with which he attacked this difficult name, of itself insured respect.) “Buchanan, you are acting on a deplorable system. Justice is not deceived by your falsehoods, nor eluded by your subterfuges. She is calm, stern, but merciful. Unbosom yourself freely” (répandez franchement), “and you may learn that justice can be lenient It is your interest to be frank.” (Il est de votre intérêt d’être franc.)
“But what do you want me to say?” asked the prévenu, “What is all this pother about a great-coat?” (Tant de fracas pour un paletot?)
Maitland was rather proud of this sentence.
“It is the part of Justice to ask questions, not to answer them,” said the Juge d’Instruction. “Levity will avail you nothing. Tell me, Buchanan, why did you ask for the coat at the Hôtel Alsace et Lorraine?”
“In answer to that advertisement in the Times.”
“That is false; you yourself inserted the advertisement. But, on your own system, bad as it is, what did you want with the coat?”
“It belonged to a man who had done me an ill-turn.”