In every criminal case there were obscurities, he said, between the judge and the guilty person; conscience had depths into which no human mind could enter unless by the confession of the criminal.
Grevin and Lechesneau nodded their assent, without, however, relaxing their determination to see to the bottom of the present mystery.
"The Emperor pardoned those young men," said Pigoult to Grevin.

"He removed their names from the list of _emigres_, though they certainly took part in that last conspiracy against him." Lechesneau make no delay in sending his whole force of gendarmerie to the forest and to the valley of Cinq-Cygne; telling Giguet to take with him the justice of peace, who, according to the terms of the Code, would then become an auxiliary police-officer.

He ordered them to make all preliminary inquiries in the township of Cinq-Cygne, and to take testimony if necessary; and to save time, he dictated and signed a warrant for the arrest of Michu, against whom the charge was evident on the positive testimony of Violette.

After the departure of the gendarmes Lechesneau returned to the important question of issuing warrants for the arrest of the Simeuse and d'Hauteserre brothers.

According to the Code these warrants would have to contain the charges against the delinquents.
Giguet and the justice of peace rode so rapidly to Cinq-Cygne that they met Laurence's servants returning from the festivities at Troyes.
Stopped, and taken before the mayor where they were interrogated, they all stated, being ignorant of the importance of the answer, that their mistress had given them permission to spend the whole day at Troyes.
To a question put by the justice of the peace, each replied that Mademoiselle had offered them the amusement which they had not thought of asking for.