Des malfaiteurs fondent une redoutable association qui va faire trembler Paris dans ses trefonds. Dans l'ombre, ils recueillent methodiquement les honteux secrets, petits et grands, de la population. Au bout de vingt-cinq annees d'efforts opiniatres, ils disposent d'une mine de renseignements suffisamment fournie pour mettre enfin a execution leur plan machiavelique. Autour de ces passions humaines si banales que sont l'amour, l'ambition et l'argent, les tres nombreux personnages de l'intrigue tourbillonnent sans se rendre compte du piege tendu qui se referme inexorablement. Paris ne...

To get the engine out, and to assemble the firemen, he had to rouse the whole town; and to do this in the middle of the night was nothing less than to frighten the poor people of Sauveterre, who had heard the drums beating the alarm but too often during the war with the Germans, and then again during the reign of the Commune. Therefore M. Seneschal asked, - "Is it a serious fire?" "Serious " exclaimed the peasant. "How could it be otherwise with such a wind as this, -a wind that would blow off the horns of our oxen." "Hm " uttered the mayor again. "Hm, hm "

The Paris house of the Boiscoran family, No. 216 University Street, is a house of modest appearance. The yard in front is small; and the few square yards of damp soil in the rear hardly deserve the name of a garden. But appearances are deceptive. The inside is marvellously comfortable; careful and painstaking hands have made every provision for ease; and the rooms display that solid splendor for which our age has lost the taste. The vestibule contains a superb mosaic, brought home from Venice, in 1798, by one of the Boiscorans, who had degenerated, and followed the fortunes of Napoleon. The...

"And you, my friends, how shall I ever express to you my gratitude? Ah if incomparable talents, and matchless zeal and ability, had sufficed, I know I should be free. But instead of that"-he pointed at the little door through which he was to pass, and said in a heartrending tone, - "Instead of that, there is the door to the galleys. Henceforth"- A sob cut short his words. His strength was exhausted; for if there are, so to say, no limits to the power of endurance of the spirit, the energy of the body has its bounds. Refusing the arm which the sergeant offered him, he rushed out of the room.

The church was already more than half full, and from every side little groups of peasants were hurrying into the church-yard. The women were all in their bravest attire, with cunning little fichus crossed upon their breasts, broad-striped, brightly colored skirts, and large white coifs. Being as economical as they were coquettish, they came barefooted, bringing their shoes in their hands, but put them on reverentially before entering the house of God. But few of the men entered the church. They remained outside to talk, seating themselves in the porch, or standing about the yard, in the shade...

"Monsieur Lecoq - Volume II" from Emile Gaboriau. Emile Gaboriau was a French writer, novelist, journalist, and a pioneer of detective fiction (1832-1873).