This pretty casket was flat and about the size of a quarto volume.
Peyrade made a sign to Corentin and took him into the embrasure of a window.
"I've an idea!" he said, "that Michu, who was ready to pay Marion eight hundred thousand francs in gold for Gondreville, and who evidently meant to shoot Malin yesterday, is the man who is helping the Simeuse brothers.

His motive in threatening Marion and aiming at Malin must be the same.

I thought when I saw him that he was capable of ideas; evidently he has but one; he discovered what was going on and he must have come here to warn them." "Probably Malin talked about the conspiracy to his friend the notary, and Michu from his ambush overheard what was said," remarked Corentin, continuing the inductions of his colleague.

"No doubt he has only postponed his shot to prevent an evil he thinks worse than the loss of Gondreville." "He knew what we were the moment he laid eyes on us," said Peyrade.

"I thought then that he was amazingly intelligent for a peasant." "That proves that he is always on his guard," replied Corentin.