"Is that the reason of your coming here to-day?"
M. Perissard paused and fixed his glance slowly and meaningly on the President of the Toulouse Court, over the judge's shoulder.
"No, M. the President," he said with deliberation. "I came to Bordeaux on a special matter of business, the business of one of my clients—a very delicate affair! It concerns the honor of a well-known family, and I hope to carry it through successfully. I am honorably known in my profession, and my clients know that they can always reckon—always reckon, I repeat—on my entire discretion!"
"What did you say to Laroque in the course of your conversation with him?" continued the President.
"Nothing much, nothing much!" M. Perissard assured him, with an offhand gesture. "It was a business talk, in which I gave him a few general instructions about the work of my office. That is all!"
"You do not know anything about the shooting?"
"Not a thing, M. the President!" was the emphatic reply.
"Do you know the prisoner?"
M. Perissard turned and gave Jacqueline a long and careful scrutiny, as if he were not certain that he had ever seen her before.
"I saw her with Laroque," he said at last, "but I do not know who she is."