“Your age?” interrupted the magistrate.
“Fifty-four.”
“Your profession?”
“Dealer in wines and spirits outside of Paris, near the Rue du Chateau-des-Rentiers, just beyond the fortifications.”
A prisoner’s examination always begins with these questions as to individuality, which gives both the magistrate and the culprit time to study each other, to try, as it were, each other’s strength, before joining in a serious struggle; just as two duelists, about to engage in mortal combat, first try a few passes with the foils.
“Now,” resumed M. Segmuller, “we will note your antecedents. Have you not already been found guilty of several offenses?”
The Widow Chupin was too well versed in criminal procedure to be ignorant of those famous records which render the denial of identity such a difficult
