"You are very sly, Monsieur Lecoq; but I too am sly enough to keep the
last key of the mystery of which you hold all the others."
"Believe me--" stammered M. Lecoq.
"I believe," interrupted his companion, "that you would like very well
to know the source of my information. Your memory is too good for you to
forget that when I began last evening I told you that this narrative was
for your ear alone, and that I had only one object in disclosing it--to
aid our search. Why should you wish the judge of instruction to see
these notes, which are purely personal, and have no legal or authentic
character?"
He reflected a few moments, and added:
"I have too much confidence in you, Monsieur Lecoq, and esteem you too
much, not to have every trust that you will not divulge these strict
confidences. What you will say will be of as much weight as anything I
might divulge--especially now that you have Robelot's body to back your
assertions, as well as the money found in his possession. If Monsieur
Domini still hesitates to believe you, you know that the doctor promises
to find the poison which killed Sauvresy."