"Why do you come to me, sir?"
"To find out, sir," the old man answered.
"To find out what?"
"If that poor drowned corpse is—my son's: is my poor Charles!"
"It is rather you who can tell me, sir," said Juve, impassive as ever.
There was a pause. Despite his emotion, M. Rambert seemed to be thinking deeply. Suddenly he appeared to make an important decision, and raising his eyes to the detective he spoke very slowly:
"Have pity, sir, on a broken-hearted father. Listen to me: I have a dreadful confession to make!"
Juve drew his chair close to M. Etienne Rambert.
"I am listening," he said gently, and M. Etienne Rambert began his "dreadful confession."