"'Vous avez commis quelque faute?' said the hostess.
"'Espiègleries,' returned Julie.
"'Bah!' said the old woman, 'young heads! young heads! what can be expected?'
"'I wonder,' thought Julie, 'if this Rodolphe lives here, or is only a visitor like the rest—for I must, somehow or another, contrive to keep him in view, till I can be sure he is the man I seek.'
"The consequences of making a mistake she saw would be fatal, as it might give the real criminal, whoever he were, time and warning to escape.
"The conversation, after turning on a variety of subjects, was beginning somewhat to flag, when one of the company said, 'What is this story about a murder? does any body know? I heard some shopman had stabbed his master and was carried to prison.'
"'Not his master,' said the artizan, 'a certain Monsieur Bruneau, a proprietaire.'
"'Bruneau!' exclaimed the old woman and Rodolphe at the same moment, in accents of astonishment.
"'Ce n'est pas lui,' said Julie to herself. 'That surprise is genuine.'
