"That will do," I said. "It is perfectly true that I was walking on the
Bannalec road last night, and that I stopped to close the Red Admiral's
door, which was ajar, although his light was not burning. After that
I went up the road to the Dinez Woods, and then walked over by St.
Julien, whence I saw the seaweed gatherer on the cliffs. He was near
enough for me to hear what he sang. What of that?"
"What did you do then?"
"Then I stopped at the shrine and said a prayer, and then I went to
bed and slept until Brigadier Durand's gendarmes awoke me with their
clatter."
"Now, Monsieur Darrel," said the Purple Emperor, lifting a fat finger
and shooting a wicked glance at me, "Now, Monsieur Darrel, which did
you wear last night on your midnight stroll--sabots or shoes?"
I thought a moment. "Shoes--no, sabots. I just slipped on my chaussons
and went out in my sabots."
"Which was it, shoes or sabots?" snarled the Purple Emperor.
"Sabots, you fool."
"Are these your sabots?" he asked, lifting up a wooden shoe with my
initials cut on the instep.
"Yes," I replied.
"Then how did this blood come on the other one?" he shouted, and
held up a sabot, the mate to the first, on which a drop of blood had
spattered.
"I haven't the least idea," I said calmly; but my heart was beating
very fast and I was furiously angry.
"You blockhead!" I said, controlling my rage, "I'll make you pay for
this when they catch Yves Terrec and convict him. Brigadier Durand, do
your duty if you think I am under suspicion. Arrest me, but grant me
one favour. Put me in the Red Admiral's cottage, and I'll see whether
I can't find some clew that you have overlooked. Of course, I won't
disturb anything until the Commissaire arrives. Bah! You all make me
very ill."
"He's hardened," observed the Purple Emperor, wagging his head.
"What motive had I to kill the Red Admiral?" I asked them all
scornfully. And they all cried:
"None! Yves Terrec is the man!"
Passing out of the door I swung around and shook my finger at the
Purple Emperor.
"Oh, I'll make you dance for this, my friend," I said; and I followed
Brigadier Durand across the street to the cottage of the murdered man.