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 TABLE OF
CONTENTS
Preface ix
To the Instructor xii
To the Student xiv
Thematic Table of Contents for the Core Course xvi

Part 1 The Core Course 1

CHAP TER 1 Arithmetic in Z Revisited 3
1.1 TheDivisionAigorithm 3
1.2 Divisibility 9
1.3 Primes and Unique Factorization 17

CHAP TER 2 Congruence in Z and Modular Arithmetic 25

2.1 Congruence and Congruence Classes 25
2.2 ModularArithmetic 32
2.3 The Structure of Zp (p Prime) and Zn 37

CHAPTER 3 Rinos 43
3.1 Definition and Examples of Rings 44
3.2 Basic Properties of Rings 59
3.3 Isomorphisms and Homomorphisms 70

CHAPTER 4 Arithmetic in f[x] 85

4.1 Polynomial Arithmetic and the DiVision Algorithm 86
4.2 Divisibility in fix] !li
4.3 lrreducibles and Unique Foctorization 100
v
vi Table of Contents

4.4 Polynomial Functions, Roots, and Reducibility 105

4.5* Irreducibility in Q[x] 112
4.6* Irreducibility in R[x] and qx] 120

CHAPTER 5 Congruence in F[x] and Congruence-Class Arithmetic 125

5.1 Cong-uence in F[x] and Congruence Classes 125
5.2 Congruence-Class Arithmetic 13)
5.3 The Structure of F[xlf{p(x)) When p(x) Is Irreducible 1.35

CHAPTER 6 Ideals and Quotient Rings 141

6.1 Ideals and Congruence 141
6.2 Quotient Rt ngs and Homomorphisms 152
6.3* The Structure of Rj I When /Is Prime or Maximal 162

CHAPTER 7 &roups 169

7.1 Defmition and Examples of Groups 169
"7.1.A Definition and Examples of Groups 183
7.2 Basic Properties of Groups 196
7.3 Subgroups ro3
7.4 Isomorphisms and Homomorphisms 214
7.5* The Symmetric and Alternating Groups 227

cHAPTER 8 Normal Subgroups and Quotient Groups 2'!7

8.1 Congruence and lagrange's Theorem 237
8.2 Normal Subgroups 248
8.3 Quotient Groups 255
8.4 Quotient Groups and Homomorphisms 263
8.5* The Sim p!ic ity of A, 273

Part 2 Advanced Topics 279

CHAPTER 9 Topics In Group Theory 281
9.1 Direct Products 281
9.2 Finite Abelian Groups 289
9.3 The Sylow Theorems 298
9.4 Conjugacy and the Proof oft he Sylow Theorems 304
9.5 The Structure of Finite Groups 312

-sections in the Core Course marked e may be omitted or postponed. See the beginning of e<H:h
sue h section for sp!!(:ifics.
 Tabla of Contents vii

CHAPTER tD Arithmetic in Integra I Domains 321

10.1 Euclidean Domains 322
10.2 Pri ncipa! ldeal Domains and Unique
Factorfzation Domains 332
10.3 Factorization of Quadratic ! ntege rs 344
10.4 The Field of Quotients of an Integral Domain 353
10.5 Unique Factorization in Polynomial Domains 359

CHAPTER 11 Field Extensions 365

11.1 Vector Spaces 365
112 SimpleExtensions 376
11.3 Algebraic Extensions 382
11.4 Splitting Fields ~
11.5 Separability 394
11.6 Finite Aelds 399

CHAPTER 12 Galois Theory 407

12.1 The Galois Group 407
122 The FundamentaiTheoremofGaloisTheory 415
12.3 Solvability by Radicals 423

Part 3 Excursions and Applications 435

CHAP TER 13 Pub Iic· Key Cryptography 437
Prerequisite: Section 2.3

CHAP TER 14 The Chinese Remainder Theorem 443

14.1 Proofofthe Chinese Remainder Theorem 443
Prerequisites: Section 2.1, Appendix C
14.2 Applications oft he Chinese Remainder Theorem 450
Prerequisite: Section 3.1
14.3 The Chinese Remai nderTheorem for Rings 453
Prerequisite; Section 6.2

CHAP TER 15 Geometric Constructions 459

Prerequisites: Sections 4.1, 4.4, and 4.5

CHAP TER 16 Algebraic Coding Theory 471

16.1 Unear Codes 471
PrereqJisites: Section'7.4, Appendix F
viii Table of Contents

16.2 DecodingTechniques 463

Prerequisite: Section &4
16.3 BCH Codes 492
Prerequ isitrJ; Section 11.6

Part 4 Append ices 499

A. Logic and Proof 500
B. Sets and Functions !i09
C. Well Ordering and Induction 523
0. Equivalence Relations 531
E. The Binomial Theorem 537
F. Matrix Algebra 540
S. Polynomials 545

Bibliography 553
Answers and Suo oestions for Selected Odd-Numbered
Exercises 55&
Index 589
 PREFACE
This book is intended for a first undergraduate course in modem abstract algebra.
Linear algebra is not a prerequisite. The flexible design makes the text suitable for
courses of various lengths and different levels of mathematical sophistication, in-
cluding (but not limited to) a traditional abstract algebra course, or one with a more
applied flavor, or a course for prospective secondary school teachers. As in previous
editions, the emphasis is on clarity of exposition and the goal is to prodooe a book that
an average student can read with minimal outside assistance.

New in the Third Edition

Groups First Option Those who believe (as I do) that covering rings before groups
is the better pedagogical approach to abstract algebra can use this edition exactly as
they used the previous one&.
Nevertheless, anecdotal evidence indicates that some instructors have used the sec-
ond edition for a "groups first'' course, which pnzwnably means that they liked other
aspects of the book enough that they were willing to take on the burden of adapting it to
their needs. To make life easier for them (and for anyone else who prefers "groups first'')
lt is now possible (though not necessary) to use this text for
a course that corers groups before rings.
See the TO THE INSTRUCTOR section for details.
Much of the rewriting needed to make this option feasible also benefits the "rings
first" users. A number of them have suggested that complete proofs were needed in
parts of the group theory chapters instead of directions that said in effect "adapt the
proof of the analogous theorem for rings". The full proofs are now there.
Proofs for Beginners Many students entering a first abstract algebra course have
had little (or no) experience in reading and writing proofs. To assist such students (and
better prepared students as well), a number of proofs (especially in Chapters l and 2)
have been rewritten and expanded. They are broken into several steps, each of which
is carefully explained and proved in detail. Such proofs take up more space, but I think
it's worth it if they provide better understanding.
So that students can better concentrate on the essential topics, various items from
number theory that play no role in the remainder of the book have been eliminated
from Chapters l and 2 (though some remain as exercises).
x Pref~:~ce

More Examples and Exercises In the core course (Chapters 1-8), there are 35%
more examples than in the previous edition and 13% more exercise& Some older exer-
cises have been replaced, so 18% of the exercises are new. The entire text has about 350
examples and 1600 exercises. For easier reference, the examples are now numbered.
Coverage The breadth of coverage in this edition is substantially the same as in
the preceding ones, with one minor exception. The chapter on Lattices and Boolean
Algebra (which apparently was rarely used) has been eliminated. However, it is avail-
able at our website (www.CengageBrain.com) for those who want to use it.
The coverage of groups is much the same as before, but the first group theory chapter
in the second edition (the longest one in the book by fur) has been divided into t....u chap-
ters of more manageable size. This arrangement has the added advantage of making the
parallel development of integers, polynomials, groups, and ring:> more apparent,
Endpapers The endpapers now provide a useful catalog of symbols and notations.
Website The website (www.CengageBrain.com) provides several downloadable
programs for TI graphing calculators that make otherwise lengthy calculations in
Chapters 1 and 14 quite easy. It also contains a chapter on Lattices and Boolean
Algebra, whose prerequisites are Chapter 3 and Appendices A and B.

Continuing Features
Thematic Development The Core Course (Chapters 1--S) is organized around two
themes: Arithmetic and Congruence. The themes are developed for integers (Chapters 1
and 2), polynomials (Chapters 4and 5), rings (Chapters 3 and 6), and groups (Chapters 7
and 8). See the Thematic Table of Contents in the TO THE STUDENT section for a
fuller picture.
Congruence The Congruence theme is strongly emphasized hi the development of
quotient rings and quotient groups. Conseqnently, students can see more clearly that
ideals, normal smgroups, quotient rings, and quotient groups are simply an extension
of familiar concepts in the integers, rather than an unmotivated mystery.
Useful Appendices These contain prerequisite material (e.g., logic, proof, sets,
functions, and induction) and optional material that some instructors may wish to
introdnce (e.g., equivalence relations and the Binomial Theorem).

Acknowledgments
This edition has benefited from the comments of many students and mathematicians
over the years, and particularly from the reviewers for this edition. My warm thanks to

Ross Abraham, South Dakota State University

George DeRise, Thol114s Nelson Community College
Kimberly Eke, California State University, Sacramento
Sherry Ettlich, Southern Oregon University
Lenny Jones, Shippensburg University
Anton Kau~ California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo
Wojci~:Ch Komornicki, Hamline University
 Preface xi

Ronald Merritt, Athens State University

Bogdan Nita, Montclair State University
Tara Smith, University of Cincinnati

It is a particular plea~~ure to acknowledge the invaluable assistance of the Cengage

staff, especially Molly Taylor, Shaylin Walsh, Cathy Brooks, and Alex Gontar. I also
want to express my appreciation to my copyeditor, Martha Williams, whose thorough
reading of the manuscript significantly improved the final text. Charu Khanna and the
MPS Limited production staff did an excellent job.
John Oprea (Cleveland State University), Greg Marks (Saint Louis University),
and David Leep (University of Kentucky) provided assistance on several poin'tl!, for
which I am grateful.
Finally, a very special thank you to my wife Mary Alice for her patience, under~
standing, and support during the preparation of this revision.

T.W.H.
 TO THE INSTRUCTOR
Here are some items that will assist you in making up your syllabus..

Course Planning
Using the chart on the opposite page, the Table of Contents (in which optional !illCtions
are marked), and the chapter introductions. you can easily plan courses of wrying length,
emphasis, and order of topics. If you plan to cover groups bdme ringli, please note that
Section 7.1 should be replaced by Section 7.1.A (which appears immediately after 7.1).

Appendices
Appendix A (Logic and Proof) is a prerequisite for the entire text Prerequisites for
various parts of the text are in Appendices B-F. Depending on the preparation of
your students and your syllabus, you may want to incorporate some of this material
into your course. Note the following.
• Appendix B (Sets and Functions): The middle part (Cartesian
products and binaiY operations) is first used in Section 3.1 [7.1.A].* The last
five pages (injective and surjective functions) are first used in Section 3.3 [7 .4].
• Appendix C (Induction): Ordinary induction (Theorem C.1) is lint used
in Section 4.4. Complete Induction (Theorem C2) is first used in Section 4.1
[9.2]. The equivalence of induction and wellMordering (Theorem C.4) is not
needed in the body of the teJrt.
• Appendix D (Equivalence Relations): Important examples of
equivalence relations are pn:sented in Sections 2.1, 5.1, 6.1, and 8.1, but the
formal definition is not needed until Section 10.4 [9.4].
• Appendix E (The Binomial Theorem): This is used only in Section
11.6 and oa;asional exercises earlier.
• Appendix F(Matrix Algebra): This is a prerequisite for Chapter 16 but
is not needed by students who have had a linear algebra course.
Finally, Appendix G presents a formal development of polynomials and indetermi-
nates. I personally think it's a bit much for beginners, but some people like it.

Exercises
The exercises in Group A involve routine calculations or short straightforward proofs.
Those in Group B require a reasonable amount of thought, but the vast maJority
should be aocessible to most students. Group C consists of difficult exercises.
Answers (or hints) for more than half of the oddMnumbered exercises are given
at the end of the book. Answers for the rmnaining exercises are in the Instructor's
Manual available to adopters of the text.

Xii •The section numbers in brackets are for groups-first courses.

 To the Instructor xiii

CHAPTER INTERDEPENDEN(;E;

13.
PubJio.Key
Cryptography

•••. (~ Nr11t below)

4.
Arithntetic
in Ffx)

s.
Congrwmce
inF[x]

14.3 8. 16.1, 16.2

The CRT Normal Algebraic
for Rilly Subgroup:t - - - - - - - · Coding
&Quotient Theory
Group~~

10.
Arithmetic
in Integral
Domains

NOTE: To go quickly from Chapter 3 to Chapter 6, first cover Section 4.1 (except the
proof of the Division Algorithm), then proceed to Chapter 6. If you plan to cover
Chapter 11, however, you will need to cover Chapter 4 first.

~A solid arrow A-.S means that A is a prereq uisitefor 8; 11 d!ls hed arrow A-'>-8 means that Bdepends
only on pe~rts of A (see the Table of Contents for specifics), For the dotted arrow S >6, see the Note
at the bot 1om of the chllrt.
 T0 THE STUDENT

Overview
This book begins with grade-school arithmetic and the algebra of polynomials from
high school (from a more advanced viewpoint, of course). In later chapters of the
book, you will see how these familiar topics fit into a la.tger framework of abstract
algebraic systems. This presentation is organized aro1md these two themes:
Arithmetic You will see how the familiar properties of division, remainders, factor-
ization, and primes in the integers carry over to polynomials, and then to more general
algebraic systems.
Congruence You may be fumiliar with "clock arithmetic".* This is an example of
congruence and leads to new finite arithmetic systems that provide a model for what
can be done for polynomials and other algebraic systems. Congruence and the related
concept of a quotient object are the keys to understanding abstract algebra.

Proofs
The emphasis in this course, much more than in high-school algebra, is on the rigor-
ous logical development of the subject. If you have had little experience with reading
or writing proofs, you would do well to read Appendix A 1 which summariz.es the basic
rules of logic and the proof techniques that are used throughout the book.
You shouki first concentrate on understanding the proofs in the text (which is quite
different from constructing a proof yourself). Just as you can appreciate a new build-
ing without being an architect or a contractor, you can verify the validity of proofs
presented by others, even if you tXII{t see how anyone ever thought of doing it this way
in the first ploce.
Begin by skimming through the proof to get an idea of its general outline before
worrying about the details in each step. It's easier to understand an aiglllllent if you
know approximately where it's headed Then go back to the beginning and read the
proof carefully, line by line. If it says "such and such is true by Theorem 5.18", check
to see just what Theorem 5.18 says and be sure you understand why it applies here. If
you get stuck, take that part on faith and finish the rest of the proof. Then go back and
see if you can figure out the sticky point.

•when the hour hand of a clock moves 3 hours or 15 hours from 12, it ends in the same position, so
3 = 15 on the clock. If the hour hand starts at 12and moves 8hoors, then moves an addilional
9 hours, it finishes at 5; so 8 + 9 = 5 on the clock.
xiv
 To the Student xv

When you're really stuck, ask yoW' instructor. He or she will welcome questions that
arise from a serious effort on your part.

Exercises
Mathematics is not a spectator sport. You can't expect to learn mathematics without
doing mathematics, any more than you could learn to swim without getting in the
water. That's why there are so many eJrei"cises in this book.
The exercises in group A are usually straightforward. If you can't do almost all of
them, you don't really understand the material. The exercises in group B often require
a reasonable amount of thought----and for most of us, some trial and error as well. But
the 'Ia& majority of them are within your grasp. The exercises in group C are usually
difficult ... a good test for strong students.
Many exercises will ask you to prove something. As you build up your skill in un-
derstanding the proofs of others (as discussed above), you will find it easier to make
proofs of your own. The proofs that you will be asked to provide will usually be much
simpler than proofs in the teK.t (which can, nevertheless, serve as models).
Answers (or hints) for more than half of the odd-numbered exercises are given at
the back of the book.

Keeping It A II Straight
In the Core Course (Chapten 1-8), students often have trouble seeing how the various
topics tie together, or even ifthey do. The Thematic Table of Contents on the next two
pages is arranged according to the themes of arithmetic and congruence, so you can
see how things fit together.
 THEMATIC TABLE OF
CONTENTS FOR THE
CORE COURSE

TOPICS .... INTEGERS POLYNOMIALS

THEMET
ARITHMETIC 1. Arithmetic in Z Revisited 4. Arithmetic in FJxJ
DiviSion Algorithm 1.1 The Division Algorithm 4.1 Polynomial Arithmetic
and the Division Algorithm

DiviSibility 1.2 Divisibility 4.2 Divisibility in F[x]

Primes and 1.3 Primes and Unique 4.3 Irreducibles and Unique
Factorization Factorization Factorization
Primality Testing 1.3 Theorem 1.10 4.4 Polynomial Functions,
Roots, and Reducibility
4.5 Irreducibility in O[x]
4.6 Irreducibility in R[x] and Qx]
CONGRUENCE 2. Congruence in Z and 5. Congruence in FJxJ and Congruence
Congruence Modular Arithmetic Cla&'i Arithmetic
2.1 Congruence and 5.1 Congruence in F[x] and
Congruence dasses Congruence Classes

Congruence-Class 2.2 Modular Arithmetic 5.2 Congruence-dass Arithmetic

Arithmetic

Quotient Structures 2.3 The Structure of z, 5.3 The Structure of F[x]jp(x)

When p Is Prime When p(x) Is Irreducible
OTHER
IsomorphiSm and
HomomorphiSm

xvi
 Thematic Table of Contents for the Core Course xvii

Directions: Reading from left to right across these two pages shows how the theme or
subtheme in the left-hand column is developed in the four algebraic systems listed in the
top row. Each vertical column shows how the themes are carried out for the system listed
at the top of the column.

RINGS* GROUPS*

3. Rings 7. Groups
3.1 Rings 7.1 Definition and Examples of Groups
7.5 The Symmetric and Ahernating Groups
3.2 Basic Properties of Rings 7.2 Basic Properties of Groups
7.3 Subgroups

6. Ideals and Quotient Rings 8. Normal Subgroups and Quotient Groups

6.1 Ideals and Congruence 8.1 Congruence
8.2 Normal Subgroups
8.5 The Simplicity of A,
6.2 Quotient Rings and 8.3 Quotient Groups
Homomorphisms 8.4 Quotient Groups and Homomorphisms
6.3 The Structure of Rj/When lis
Prime or Maximal
3.3 Isomorphisms and 7.4 Isomorphisms and Homomorphisms
Homomorphisms

*In the Arithmetic Theme, the sections of Chapters 3 (Rings) and 8 (Groups) do not correspond to the individual
subthemes (as do the sections of Chapters 1and 4). For integral domains, however, there is a correspondence, as
you will see in Chapter 10 (Arithmetic in Integral Domains).
P A RT 1
THE CORE COURSE
 CHAPTER 1
Arithmetic in 7L Revisited

Algebra grew out of arithmetic and depends heavily on it. So we begin our study of
abstract algebra with a review of those facts from arithmetic that are used frequently
in the rest of this book and provide a model for much of the woril. we do. We stress
primarily the underlying pattern and properties rather than methods of c amputation,
Nevertheless, the fundamental concepts are ones that you have seen before,

Ill The Division Algorithm

Our starting point is the set of all integers Z = {0, ±1, ±2, ... } . We assume that you
are familiar with the arithmetic of integers and with the usual order relation ( <) on
the set Z. We also assume the

WELL-ORDERING A XI 0 M Every nonempty subset of the set of nonnegative

Integers contains a smallest ekment.

If you think of the nonnegative integers laid out on the usual number line, it is
intuitively plausible that each subset contains an element that lies to the left of all the
other elements in the subset-that is the m~allest element. On the other hand, the Well-
Ordering Axiom does not hold in the set Z of all integers (there is no smallest ne~e
integer). Nor does it hold in the set of all nonnegatiw rational numbers (the subset of
all positiw rationals does not contain a smallest element because, forany positive ratio-
nal number r, there is always a smaller positiw rational-for instance, r/2).

NOTE: The rest of this chapter and the next require Theorem 1.1, which
is stated below. Unfortunately, its proof is a bit more complicated than
is desirable at the beginning of the course, since some readers may not
have seen many (or any) formal mathematical proofs. To alleviate this
3
4 Chapter 1 Arithmetic in Z Revisited

situation, we shall first look at the origins of Theorem 1.1 and explain the
idea of its proof. Unless you have a strong mathematical background, we
suggest that you read this additional material carefully before beginning
theproo£
To ease the beginner's way, the proof itself will be broken into several
steps and given in more detail than is customary in most books. Ho~
because the proof does not show how the theorem is actually used in prac-
tice, some instructors may wish to postpone the proof until the class has
more experience in proving results. In any case, all students should at least
read the outline of the proof (its first three lines and the statements of
Steps 1-4).

So here we go. Consider the following grade-school division problem:

Quotient ~· 11 Check: 11 +---- Quoti.enJ

Di'iisor
Di'iidend
~· X1~DMsor
77
12 +5 +--- kmainder
7 82 +--- Di'iidend
Remainder~ 5

The division process stops when we reach a remainder that is less than the divisor.
All the essential facts are contained in the checking procedure, which may be verbally
summarized like this:

dividend = (divisor) (quotient)+ (remainder).

Here is a formal statement of this idea, in which the dividend is denoted by a, the
divisor by b1 the quotient by q, and the remainder by r:

Theorem 1.1 The Division AI go rith m

Let a, b be Integers with b > o. Then there exist unique Integers q and r such
that
a=bq+r and 0s r <b.
Theorem 1.1 allows the possibility that the dividend a might be negative but re-
quires that the remainder r must not only be less than the divisor b but also must be
~gative. To see why this last requirement is necessary, suppose a = -14 is divided
by b = 3, so that -14 = 3q + r. If we only require that the remainder be less than
the divisor 3, then there are many possibilities for the quotient q and remainder r,
including these three:

-14 = 3(-3) + (-5), with -5 < 3 [Here q = -3 and r = --S.]

-14 = 3(-4) + (-2), with -2 < 3 [Here q = -4 and r = -2.]
-14 = 3(-5) + 1, with 1 < 3 [Here q .= -sand r .= 1.].
Another Random Scribd Document
with Unrelated Content
 CHAPTER XXIII

O N the day after that upon which Freyberger had telephoned to

the Paris police requesting a personal interview with
Mademoiselle Lefarge, London awoke to find itself effaced by fog.
Mrs Hussey, the old woman who stole Hellier’s tea and whisky and
coal, made his bed, lit his fire, and attended generally to his wants
and discomforts, had set the breakfast things out for him, placed his
eggs and bacon in the fender to keep warm, and his letters by his
plate. Having attended to these duties she had departed, swallowed
up in the fog.
There were three letters on the table. Two small bills and an
invitation to a dance in Bayswater. A more depressing post could not
have been invented for him.
He had hoped to find an envelope post-marked Boulogne-sur-Mer
and addressed to him in a characteristic woman’s hand. He had
received no reply to his last letter, but there was the chance that one
might come by the second post.
London is a terrible place for the anxious heart expecting news by
post. There are so many posts; every hour you hear the double
knock at some one else’s door, every hour you see the man in blue
passing, the man who could bring you so much if the fates only
willed.
The second post came and brought with it a circular.
Have you ever noticed in life the part played by the unexpected?
You are looking forward to some pleasure, some journey, some
meeting, you, perhaps, are full of doubt as to whether your finances
will meet the occasion, whether the carriage will come at the proper
time, whether the woman you are to meet will keep the
appointment.
All your fears are groundless, the money arrives, the carriage is at
the door, the lady is waiting for you, and you are just getting into
the carriage with a bunch of violets in your hand and a fat cheque in
your pocket, when a messenger arrives to say that your aunt is
dying.
You had never thought of that. On the other hand the cheque has
not arrived, the carriage has not come, you are in despair, and
Providence appears in the form of Jones, a debtor whom you had
forgotten for years, now a millionaire back from South Africa.
Hellier was leaving his rooms with his overcoat tightly buttoned
up, a muffler round his neck and a feeling of desolation at his heart,
when, on the stairs he knocked against a telegraph boy, took a
telegram from him, opened it and read by the light of the gas jet on
the lower landing:
“Boulogne-sur-Mer.
“Dear Friend: We arrive London to-day. Meet us Langham Hotel six o’clock;
important.
Cécile Lefarge.”
As Hellier walked across the courtyard of Clifford’s Inn with this
missive in his pocket, the sky above was sapphire blue, the sun was
shining brightly, also trees were blooming around him and
nightingales singing in their branches. At least, so it seemed to him
till a collision with Mr Crump, K.C., a portly gentleman, who was not
in love, brought him to his senses.
He did not ask himself what could possibly have happened to
bring Cécile to London. He only knew that she was coming, that she
had telegraphed to him and that he would meet her at six. As if
nature had suddenly grown kind as well as fate, towards noon the
fog cleared away, the sun shone out and the light of a perfect spring
day was cast upon the world.
 At six o’clock to the minute he presented himself at the Langham,
ascertained that Mademoiselle Lefarge and her aunt had arrived and
were expecting him and was shown to their private sitting-room.
 CHAPTER XXIV

F REYBERGER, also, had received a telegram that morning, or, at

least, the Chief of the Criminal Investigation Department had
received it and communicated its contents to him.
“You can take the case entirely into your own hands, Freyberger,”
he said. “You have certainly done well in it heretofore, the connexion
between the two crimes seems to me almost made out, should the
Paris people identify the portrait we have sent them as that of the
supposedly murdered man, Müller, the connexion will be made
certain. Your insight has been very praiseworthy, and if the portrait
is identified we can at once place our finger upon the person who, if
he is not the author of the crime, we are investigating, is, at least,
so bound up in it that his capture must place the whole matter in a
clear light.
“But will we be any nearer to his arrest? You object to his portrait
being published in the papers, yet you know very well the value of
that step.
“Take a big morning and evening paper; a portrait published in
these papers is a portrait, so to speak, placarded on the sky. A
million pair of eyes are at once placed at our service.”
“Quite so, sir,” replied Freyberger, “I am the last man to
undervalue the power of the Press. I quite know that if we were to
publish the portrait we should have half a million amateur detectives
at our service in half a dozen hours. Unfortunately, it is my firm
conviction that in an hour after publication, our man, who is now, I
fancy, walking about the world catchable, in the pride of his infernal
genius, in an hour, I repeat, he would be uncatchable. He would turn
himself into air, into water, into smoke. He would become some one
else. He is illusion materialized.
“Even if we circulate his portrait amidst the force, within a few
hours some man answering his description is sure to be arrested,
sure to be released, and the affair will get wind and our Jack-o’-
lanthorn will know that some one, not answering the description of
Gyde, is being sought for, and he will say to himself ‘they have found
out something, they suspect, perhaps they know,’ and he will dive,
efface himself, never be seen again.
“I believe the use of ordinary methods against this person will be
of no avail. We must trust to chance. And I have a strange belief,
rather a sort of instinct, that the chance will come to us through the
Lefarge case.”
He ceased, for at this moment a sergeant knocked at the door,
bringing a broad sheet of paper on which was some writing.
He handed it to the chief and withdrew. It was a message from
Boulogne and read:
“Boulogne-sur-Mer.
“Have received communication through Hamard. Will be at the Langham Hotel
this evening at seven, bringing all evidence with me.
Cécile Lefarge.”
“The omen is good,” said the chief, with a slight smile.
Before Freyberger could reply the door opened and another officer
appeared with a message. It was from the prefecture.
“Photograph sent by your agent identified as that of Wilhelm
Müller, assassinated December 30, 18—, No. 110 Rue de Turbigo.
Duplicate of photo has been in this office since the crime was
committed.—Legendre, Chief of Identification Bureau, Prefecture of
Police.”
The chief’s eyes sparkled for a moment with pleasure. The way in
which Freyberger had connected and riveted the two cases, the
manner in which he had now, with terrible and mathematical
certainty, proved Müller, alias Kolbecker, alias Klein, the moving spirit
in these two great tragedies, and almost to a certainty the criminal,
since Lefarge could have no thinkable connexion with the Gyde case
and Gyde no connexion with the Lefarge case; all this pleased his
artistic instinct. He said nothing, but simply read the message,
handed it to Freyberger, who read it in turn and gave it back.
“Thank you, sir,” said Freyberger, “and now, if you will permit me,
I will go home. Nothing of importance is likely to happen between
now and seven o’clock. I have some pressing business to attend to.”
“And what may that business be?” inquired the chief.
“Sleep, sir. I have not closed my eyes for forty-eight hours.”
“Go and attend to your business, then,” replied the other, “and if
anything of vital importance turns up, I will send for you. I am
pleased with you, Freyberger, and with the way you have conducted
this case. Go and dream you have caught this will-o’-the-wisp, and
may your dream turn true.”
“I never dream, sir,” replied Freyberger, and, bidding the chief
good morning, he departed.
 CHAPTER XXV

H E returned to his rooms.

The man who would command events must be able to
command sleep. This, at least, Freyberger was able to do. He cast
himself upon his bed, closed his eyes and was immediately lost in
oblivion.
At half-past four he awoke, made himself some coffee, lit a cigar
and fell, for a moment, into meditation. There was one point
wanting to him in the case before it stood absolutely four square and
to his satisfaction.
That point was the proof that the bust of Sir Anthony Gyde was by
the hand of the same sculptor as the bust of M. Lefarge.
It was more than probable that Mademoiselle Lefarge would bring
with her to London this very material piece of evidence. It was in her
possession he knew, for, in the newspaper accounts of the tragedy it
was numbered amidst the pièces de conviction, and the statement
was made that it had been returned to the daughter of Lefarge,
coupled with the statement that Mademoiselle Lefarge wept when it
was returned to her and expressed her conviction of her father’s
innocence and her determination to devote her life to the task of
clearing his name from the terrible stain upon it. Antonides alone
would be able to decide the question of the artist, and at five
Freyberger left his rooms and took his way to Old Compton Street.
He did not call at the Yard on his way, knowing quite well that if
anything important had turned up in reference to the Gyde case, the
chief would have communicated with him immediately.
 Antonides was in. He was eating a sausage roll behind his counter,
or rather finishing it, when Freyberger entered. The old man was
killing himself with indigestion. To save the price of a trustworthy
assistant he looked after his business entirely himself, with the
exception of what help a boy, hired at seven shillings a week, could
give him. This meant that whenever he required a meal properly
cooked he had to go to a café and lock the shop up till he returned,
as this meant the possible loss of a customer, he was condemned to
live on sardines and sausage rolls, sandwiches, anything, in fact,
that did not require cooking or service.
Of course he could have had dinner sent in from a café, but he
would have had to eat it on the counter for had he retired upstairs
to devour it he would have been compelled to close the shop.
Not for one moment did he leave it open during his absence
upstairs, save on very rare occasions, such as the morning before,
when Freyberger, calling to inspect the bust, had found the boy
taking down the shutters and the door open.
“Good day, Mr Freyberger,” said the old man.
“Good day,” said Freyberger.
“And what can I do for you Mr Freyberger,” asked Antonides, “any
more busts to restore?”
“Not to-day, thanks, I want your opinion on a work of art.”
“Produce it.”
“Do you think I carry it about with me in my pocket?”
“I have seen works of art produced from a pocket before now. I
have seen a snuff-box, worth a thousand guineas, and which I
bought for,—no matter.”
“Well this is not a snuff-box but a bust.”
“Another bust!”
“Yes, another.”
 “The subject?”
“A man.”
“The artist?”
“Unknown, but supposed to be the same who executed the bust
of Sir Anthony Gyde.”
“Ha! ha!”
“Could you tell if it were the same artist?”
“Could I tell it in the dark by the touch of my fingers, could I not?”
“Well, I hope to show you it.”
“You know my fee for examining works of art?”
“No.”
“A guinea.”
“You shall have it.”
“At what hour will you bring it here?”
“That’s just the point, the thing can’t be brought here, you must
go to see it.”
“Where?”
“At the Langham Hotel.”
“You know my fee for leaving my shop to inspect works of art.”
“No.”
“Two guineas, Mr Freyberger.”
“You shall have them.”
“And the cab fare?” shrieked Antonides, his face becoming pinched
with excitement.
“And the cab fare.”
“There and back?”
 “Yes, there and back, anything else? Mention it whilst we are
about it, don’t be bashful, drinks on the way and a red carpet on the
steps when you get there.”
“I never drink between meals. Three shillings is the cab fare. I
never cheat my customers, nor do I allow cabmen to cheat me. At
what hour shall I be at the Langham Hotel?”
“Oh, about half-past seven.”
“And the bust. If it is not asking an impertinent question, where is
it coming from?”
“Paris.”
“Ah!”
“By the way.”
“Yes.”
“Have you ever heard of an artist and sculptor, named Wilhelm
Müller?”
“Wilhelm Müller, a sculptor?”
“Yes.”
“Murdered eight years ago?”
“Yes.”
“By a M.—”
“Lefarge.”
“Yes, yes, that is the name. Oh, yes, I remember Müller. I only
saw him once about nine years ago; I clearly recollect him for the
fact of his murder, which I read of in the papers shortly after
impressed our meeting upon me. It was at the chat noir. Oh, yes, I
remember Wilhelm Müller very well indeed.”
“You are a judge of men.”
 “I am a judge of art primarily, modern man is mainly a production
of art, not of nature; yes, I am a judge of men.”
“What was your opinion of Müller?”
“You know my fee for examining and giving my opinion on works
of art.”
“Yes, here, take a cigar and give me your opinion on Müller.”
“As a work of art or nature?”
“You said modern man was a work of art.”
“I said, mainly a work of art, there is a strong substratum of
nature in some men.”
“Well I want your opinion on Müller, both as a work of art and a
work of nature; cast some light on him for me out of your
intelligence.”
“Give me a match.”
“There you are.”
“Thank you. As an artistic production, Müller was not so bad, for
he managed fairly well to conceal from his fellow-men what nature
had made him?”
“And what had nature made him?”
“A madman.”
“A madman?”
“Yes, and yet he was sane.”
“That sounds like a paradox.”
“Man is a paradox. I know twenty men in London who are as mad
as hatters, yet they are sane for all practical purposes.”
“Could you fancy Müller committing a murder?”
“Easily. He was of the intellectual criminal type.”
“Yet he was a great artist.”
 “Though I have never seen any of his work—”
“Pardon me, you have, for that bust of Sir Anthony Gyde’s was, I
believe, from his chisel.”
“Though I had never seen any of his work, judging from my
recollection of the man, I would say he was a great genius. He had
the brilliancy of eye, the concentration of gaze, which one rarely
meets with in common-place people, and yet those eyes would, so
to speak, fall apart, the concentration relax, the gaze become turned
inward. Then it was that the essential madness of the man became
visible to the man who could see. How many men of your
acquaintance can see, Mr Freyberger?”
Freyberger laughed and turned to leave the shop.
“Well,” he said, “seven-thirty at the Langham. Be sure you are
there and ask for Mademoiselle Lefarge.”
 CHAPTER XXVI

A T seven o’clock precisely, Freyberger drove up to the Langham.

Mademoiselle Lefarge had given instructions that anyone who
called was to be shown up.
Freyberger followed a waiter up the softly carpeted stairs; at the
door of a room on the first landing the man stopped.
“Whom shall I say, sir?”
“Mr Gustave Freyberger.”
The waiter opened the door and the detective found himself in the
presence of three people.
An old lady with white hair, a young woman whom he recognized
by instinct as Mademoiselle Lefarge, and a man of about thirty or
perhaps thirty-five, clean-shaved, English-looking, and with the
stamp of a barrister.
The detective’s quick eye and even quicker brain took in the room
and its occupants at a glance.
In a moment he comprehended the status of the two women
before him, but the man puzzled him.
The women were French to their fingertips, but the man was
English.
Needless to say the man was Hellier.
Cécile Lefarge gazed at the newcomer for a moment and then
advanced, with hand out-stretched, in such a kindly and frank
manner as quite to captivate even the unemotional Freyberger.
 “I need not ask you,” she said, “for I am quite sure you are the
gentleman mentioned by M. Hamard as having telegraphed to Paris
for an interview with me. I am Cécile Lefarge.”
“Mademoiselle,” replied the detective, with a charming modesty
that was half false. “The communication to M. Hamard came from
the Chief of the Criminal Investigation Department of Scotland Yard.
I am but the humble instrument deputed by him to inquire into a
certain case. A crime has been committed in England. In the
investigation of the matter, I, by a strange chance, came upon the
records of a crime committed in Paris—”
“Eight years ago.”
“Pardon me, mademoiselle, eight years and five months ago.”
“You are exact.”
“I am exact, but before I proceed, I must ask you to excuse me.
This is an important matter. In speaking of it I wish to be sure of
whom I am addressing. You are Mademoiselle Lefarge, this lady—”
“Is my aunt, Madame de Warens.”
“Thank you, and this gentleman?”
Cécile Lefarge blushed slightly. “He is our very good friend, Mr
Hellier.”
Hellier produced his visiting card and handed it to Freyberger.
“That is my name and address,” said he. “I assure you that
anything you say before me will not pass beyond me. Mademoiselle
Lefarge has entrusted me with the painful details of the case that
occurred in Paris eight years ago, and I have made investigations
myself in the matter. I have spent some time in Paris studying the
reports of the case, and I may be able to assist you in an humble
way, if my assistance would not be out of place.”
Freyberger bowed very stiffly. He had a horror of the amateur
detective, the Gyde case was his own especial problem, he wished
for no help in its solution.
 “Thank you,” he said. Then turning to Mademoiselle Lefarge:
“I like to be always perfectly frank, I have brought you a long
journey, my message was urgent, yet I can give you no word of
hope on the question that has troubled your heart for eight years.”
“Hope!”
“My meaning is this, I can give you no hope that M. Lefarge is
alive.”
“Alive! Ah, no! He is dead, my dear father is dead, some instinct
has long told me that; all I hope for is revenge.”
“I may give you that,” said Freyberger quite simply.
They were standing opposite to one another. Mademoiselle
Lefarge sank down on a fauteuil near by and motioned the detective
to take a chair.
“I must tell you first,” said he, taking a seat close to her, “that a
terrible crime has been committed in England, a crime almost
exactly similar to that which was committed in the Rue de Turbigo
eight years ago.”
“Ah!”
“We are investigating that crime, we believe the active agent in it
to be the active agent in the crime of the Rue de Turbigo. If we can
prove this incontrovertibly by the capture of the active agent for
whom we are seeking, your father’s name will be quite cleared of
any imputation.”
Cécile Lefarge sighed deeply. She sat with her hands clasped
across one knee and her eyes fixed upon the man before her.
She divined, in this plain, clean-shaved, fresh-coloured and
youngish-looking man, whose face might have been that of a café
waiter, whose manner was yet so calm and authoritative and
assured, and whose eye was so full of steadfastness and energy, she
divined in this person the man for whom she had been seeking for
years—her avenger.
 “Go on, please,” she said.
“I must first,” said Freyberger, taking a parcel from his pocket,
“ask you to look at this.”
He handed a photograph to the girl.
She looked at it and gave a short, sharp cry, as though some one
had struck her.
“Müller!” she said, holding the thing away from her with a gesture
of terror.
Freyberger took it and replaced it in his pocket after Hellier had
glanced at it.
“You recognize it as the portrait—”
“Of the man who executed the bust of my father. Oh, yes, indeed,
I recognize it. His face is burnt upon my brain. Were I to live a
thousand years, it would be there still.”
“Now,” said Freyberger, “I do not wish to pain you, yet I must say
some unpleasant things. You know that in the eyes of the world at
the time of this affair, M. Lefarge appeared guilty.”
“Alas!” said she, “in the eyes of the world my dear father must
appear as guilty as he did then.”
“You know the terrible mass of evidence that was produced
against him?”
“Yes.”
“You have weighed it logically yourself?”
“Yes.”
“Have you ever believed your father to have been guilty of the
crime imputed to him?”
“Never.”
“Have you any special reason for this disbelief?”
 “No.”
“Yet—”
“Yet I know him to have been innocent. Ah, M. Freyberger! logic is
not everything in this world, instinct with some people counts for
much more. I know my dear father to have been innocent, and you
ask me how I know it. I can only answer, ‘how do I know that the
sun shines,’ the thing is plain before me, and we will not speak of it
again.”
“We will speak, then, of this man, Müller. He impressed you.”
She looked around as if seeking for a metaphor.
“He impressed me with horror, he filled me with the terror of a
nightmare.”
“You saw him several times?”
“Yes, my dear father brought him to our house. My father was so
good, so pleasant, so genial, he saw no harm in anyone. If a man
were only clever, that was enough for him. Many an artist who is
now well-to-do in the world owes everything to the help received
from him.”
Freyberger had been studying Mademoiselle Lefarge from the first
moment of his entering the room. This was no woman of the
ordinary type.
This was an individual of spirit and sense and intellect, who had
been studying the Lefarge case for eight years. He determined to
put the whole matter of the Gyde case before her and its connexion
with the case of Lefarge.
This he did in the space of ten minutes, clearly and concisely and
with that precision that never misses a necessary or includes an
unnecessary word.
“If what you have told me is correct,” said Mademoiselle Lefarge,
when he had finished, “it only confirms my belief that Müller by
some horrible alchemy, known only to himself, destroyed my father
both in body and reputation, just as he has destroyed Sir Anthony
Gyde.”
“That, too, is my belief,” said Hellier, who had been listening,
amazed at the tale of Freyberger, and full of admiration at his
process of reasoning.
“Now,” said the detective, “have you the bust this man executed of
M. Lefarge?”
“Yes,” replied Cécile, “I have it in the next room, I brought it with
me to-day, hoping it might be of use.”
Freyberger looked at her with admiration.
“It will be of great use, and I must thank you for bringing it. I
would like to see it and to show it to a friend whom I expect here
shortly. He is a Greek who has reconstructed the Gyde bust, and his
opinion is necessary to me in the case.”
Mademoiselle Lefarge passed into an adjoining room, from which
she presently emerged, carrying something in her arms; something
wrapped in a white cloth.
She placed this object on a table and, removing the cloth, exposed
the bust of M. Lefarge, which we have already seen.
Freyberger examined the thing attentively, murmuring to himself
as he did so. Mademoiselle Lefarge, watching him narrowly,
imagined that he seemed pleased.
“Well,” she said at last, “do you think it will be of service to you in
your investigations? What do you think of it?”
“Ah, mademoiselle,” he replied, “my opinion on a work of art is,
perhaps, of no great value and for that reason I have sent for a
friend who is a magician where these matters are concerned, but,”
looking at his watch, “he is late, this magician.”
Scarcely had he spoken than a knock came to the door and a
waiter appeared bearing a salver, on which reposed a filthy-looking
visiting card.
 Cécile took the thing, on which was scrawled:
“I. Antonides, art dealer, 1006 Old Compton Street.”
“Gentleman is outside, miss,” said the waiter, whose cast-iron face
was struggling with a grin and conquering it.
“Show him in,” said Cécile, and I. Antonides entered.
Dressed in a shabby old fur-lined coat, from which half the
buttons were gone, and holding a shabby old silk hat in one hand he
stood for a moment in the doorway, blinking and then, catching sight
of Freyberger, he beckoned.
Freyberger went to him and Antonides, catching him by the lapel,
whispered, “A word in your ear, Mr Freyberger.”
“Well, what is it?” asked the detective, following the old man into
the corridor.
“Am I dealing in this matter with you, or the young woman?”
“I suppose by the young woman you mean Mademoiselle
Lefarge?”
“Yes.”
“Well, you are dealing with me. Why do you ask?”
“Only this,” said Antonides, who, from one brief glimpse, had
summed up the financial position of this girl, who was able to afford
a private suite of rooms on the first floor of the Langham.
“It’s nothing to you, here or there, a pound or two in my pocket,
so long as it doesn’t come out of your pocket, won’t make her
pocket any the lighter. Mr Freyberger, consider our bargain off, like a
good friend and let me do the skinning.”
“Now look here,” said Freyberger, “you bargained to come here
and view the thing for two pounds.”
“Guineas.”
 “And the cab fare, that’s what you’ll get and not a penny more.
Skinning, indeed! Do you take me for an—art dealer? See here, I
have the money for you, here’s two pounds, here’s two shillings, and
what’s the cab fare?”
“Five.”
“Three, you mean; anyhow, here’s five. What a funny man you
are.”
“I am never funny in business, but in return for your compliment,
I will give you a piece of advice—never, never, stir a foot in business
without settling your terms in advance. Once I lost eight shillings
and a halfpenny, the single fare to Leicester by omitting to carry out
that precept. It was seven years ago, Mr Freyberger, seven years,
and I have never got that eight and a halfpenny back from the world
yet, and never will. Now to our consultation.”
They returned to the sitting-room, Freyberger introduced the old
man in a word or two and then pointed to the bust.
The Greek took a spectacle case from his pocket, drew forth a pair
of steel-rimmed spectacles and adjusted them upon his nose. Then
he examined the bust attentively.
“Well?” asked Freyberger.
“Well,” answered the other, quite disregardless of the other people
present. “Where are your eyes, could you not see that this bust is,
from an artistic point of view, the twin brother of that which I
repaired for you?”
“I was sure of it,” said Freyberger.
“Then why did you ask my opinion?”
“Because I wanted to make doubly sure.”
“Well, you have done so,” said Antonides, taking his spectacles off
and replacing them in his pocket. “You may take my word for it that
the man who executed this bust was also the author of that
admirable piece of work which some Philistine smashed with his coal
hammer.”
Antonides bowed slightly to the ladies, seized his old hat, which he
had placed on a chair, and, escorted by Freyberger, left the room.
When Freyberger returned, Mademoiselle Lefarge was still
standing in exactly the same place where she had stood whilst the
old man was giving his opinion on the bust.
Hellier was still seated in the background; he had not spoken a
word, content to listen and leave the case entirely in the capable
hands of the detective.
The girl took a seat and motioned Freyberger to do the same.
He took the chair which she had pointed out, then he sat for a
moment in thought. At last he said.
“You have told me everything that you know?”
“Yes.”
“Well, I want you to tell me something more. I want you to tell
me, more precisely, what you think.”
She looked puzzled.
“Your knowledge of the facts of this case,” said he, “does not,
perhaps, exceed my own. Your memory may not be able to cast new
light on the matter, but your imagination may. You have pondered
over it, you have dreamt of it, for eight years and more it has been
with you. What does your imagination say? what have you fancied
about it?”
“I have fancied this,” said she, “or, rather, I have been assured of
this. That whoever was murdered in the Rue de Turbigo, it was not
Müller. I know all the evidence, and of the tattooed marks upon the
body. The two letters ‘W.M.,’ which were his initials. But might they
not have been the initials of some other man? No one gave evidence
to say that such marks had ever been seen upon Müller. No matter. I
believe that Müller was not murdered; I believe that Müller was the
assassin of whoever was murdered, and I have felt that he was such
a terrible man that he was sure to repeat his crime, murder some
one else, and probably get caught. God help me! I have hoped so.
For years it has been my hope that this demon might act again as he
acted in the Rue de Turbigo, and fall into the hands of justice, just
as a tiger who eats men returns to his feeding place and falls into
the hands of the hunters.
“Was my belief correct? Look at the case of Sir Anthony Gyde, of
which you told us to-night.”
“Your belief was, I am convinced, correct,” answered Freyberger.
“I believe,” went on Mademoiselle Lefarge, speaking as if under
the influence of an inspiration, “that this man has not limited his
hand to Sir Anthony Gyde, I believe that he has committed many
murders. He is a murderer. I can fancy him strangling a fellow
creature from pure hatred and the lust of blood or money.”
“Ah! Good heavens!” cried Hellier, striking himself on the forehead.
Every one turned towards him.
“What is it?” asked the girl.
“I have been a fool, forgive me. I remember now; listen to me.”
“Yes, yes.”
“I undertook to investigate this case. I went to Paris, I saw every
one who could in the least throw light on it, I went into all the
evidence. I said to myself, the case is hopeless; forgive me for
having said this even to myself. Well, one day, by chance, in an old
file of the Petit Journal, I saw the case of an old man named
Mesnier; he had been strangled for no apparent reason, and an
important witness said that he had seen a man leaving Mesnier’s
room shortly after the time the tragedy must have taken place, and
he said that he would have sworn that this man was Müller, only for
the fact that Müller was known to be dead.”
 “Ah, ah!” said Freyberger, who was listening intently. “How long
after the Lefarge affair was this?”
“A few days. Then a few days later a woman was strangled in a
field for no apparent motive save murder, and a few days later a
child was also killed upon the high road near Paris in a similar
manner. I read these things, but though they made an impression
upon me, I said to myself, Müller is dead, they can have no
relationship to the crime in the Rue de Turbigo. Now I have heard of
the Gyde case, it proves that Müller is still alive, and now I feel
convinced that these crimes were committed by this demon. Can you
forgive me, my friend, for having for a moment doubted the
innocence of your father?”
“There is nothing to forgive,” said the girl, gazing at the young
man with an expression that spoke volumes of her feelings towards
him, “and if there were I would forgive you a hundred times, for you
have struggled against the disbelief caused by terrible and crushing
evidence. What you say proves to me again that this man is alive;
but, alas! of what use to us can these other crimes be? He was not
caught, they occurred years ago and can give justice no thread.”
Freyberger did not seem to fall in with this opinion. He had risen
from his chair and was pacing up and down, a sure sign that he was
deeply excited or disturbed.
“You are sure of what you say?” he said, suddenly turning on
Hellier.
“Certain.”
“You saw these crimes reported in the Petit Journal?”
“Yes.”
“Have you files of the papers?”
“No. I read it in Paris. I can supply you with the dates.”
“No use; I don’t want to know details. Simply the fact that these
crimes were committed suffices me.”
 “Do you think the fact will be of use to you?” asked the girl.
Freyberger laughed hoarsely. He had let his excitement get away
with him. In a flash he had seen the means and the method of
laying his hand upon the man he wanted. This was what he had
been waiting for, just this accidental sidelight. “Chance will give him
to us,” he had told the Chief of the Criminal Investigation
Department, and now he felt that the chance had come. But he was
not going to show his hand, especially before Hellier. He wanted to
keep the Gyde case to himself till it was completed, just as a
sculptor keeps a statue from view till the moment of unveiling.
“It may and it may not,” he replied. “And now, Mademoiselle, I will
take leave of you. There is much work to be done and I am required
elsewhere. I will keep you informed of our progress, that is to say,
as far as it is in my power. You are staying at the hotel?”
“Yes, for some time.”
“Thank you; good evening.” He bowed to old Madame de Warens,
who had been a somewhat unintelligent spectator of all that had
passed, he gave a slight, stiff bow to Hellier and left the room.
Hellier rose to his feet. “I must speak to that man,” he said, taking
Cécile Lefarge’s hand in both his. “I must catch him before he leaves
the hotel. May I see you to-morrow?”
“Yes, come early.”
He left the room with something in his hand. It was a small bunch
of violets she had taken from her breast.
 CHAPTER XXVII

I N the entrance hall of the Langham Freyberger drew a long, black,

poisonous-looking cheroot from his pocket and lit it.
Then he buttoned his overcoat and prepared to depart. He felt
jubilant. The whole of the pieces of the puzzle had fallen into their
places under the influence of his intellect, and now this new sidelight
had pointed at the possible road to the absolute and final move,
which would allow him to place his hand upon the creator of the
puzzle, and say: “You are mine.”
He was just going down the steps when a voice from behind said,
“Excuse me.”
He turned and saw Hellier.
“I would like a moment’s conversation with you,” said the barrister.
“Certainly, certainly,” said the other, in a not too amiable voice.
“What can I do for you?”
“If you will allow me to walk a few hundred yards with you, I will
explain myself. Please don’t think I want to interfere in this case, but
I have sworn to give all the help in my power, and I think I may be
able to make a suggestion to you that may be useful.”
“Humph.”
“I have made a special study of forensic medicine and criminology,
and this has occurred to me.
“I will tell you what I think in a few words. This Müller
accomplished a deeply reasoned out and intricate crime in Paris
eight years ago. Well, having done that, his reason withdrew herself,
exhausted possibly, but the lust for killing excited by the crime,
remained and grew and had to be satisfied. He strangled three
people.
“We know of lots of cases where a lunatic has a grudge against
the whole female or male sex, and kills for the pleasure of killing. It
is rarer for a man of this description to have a grudge against the
whole of humanity and to murder indiscriminately, but it occurs.
“We find these people perfectly sane in other ways; they are just
tigers let loose when their reason becomes weakened.
“So we have Müller, a man of profound intellect, suddenly, under
the thirst of blood, turned into a killing machine. He kills three
people, no more, for the fit passes. He is gorged for years, till he
commits a new murder and the fit returns.”
“Proceed,” said Freyberger, in a hard voice; for what Hellier had
just said was the very thing he had been thinking to himself.
“Well, as Müller did eight years ago, so, in all probability, he will do
again. He has murdered a man in Cumberland. The thirst for blood,
or rather human life, will most probably seize him again. And all you
have to do to catch him is to wait. I will wager my reputation that
this beast will repeat his actions like some horrible automaton, and
that within the next few days you will have a case of motiveless
murder to investigate, and that if you catch the criminal it will be
Müller.”
Freyberger did not reply. What Hellier had just said was exactly
what he (Freyberger) had been thinking.
It is not pleasant to find one’s astuteness matched. He had put all
his energy and mind into the Gyde case, and here was a stranger
pointing out to him the course to take for the completion of the
affair; and, worst of all, the right course.
He quite forgot that it was due to Hellier’s researches that these
subsidiary crimes had been connected with the Lefarge case.
 He was, in fact, human, and he was jealous.
“What you have said,” he replied, “may have something in it.”
“I think, myself, it may have a good deal in it,” replied Hellier,
nettled somewhat at the other’s assumed indifference and the
chilliness of his tone.
“Well,” said Freyberger, “the matter is in our hands, and you may
be sure everything will be done that is needful. We do not, as a rule,
require outside help or suggestions in our work. I wish you good
night.”
“That’s the professional detective all over,” thought Hellier, as he
watched the departing figure of Freyberger. “They work in one set
groove, they have ideas handed down from generation to
generation. I was amazed at this man’s perspicuity at first, and now
I find him just one of a class. Well, if he doesn’t see much in my
idea I do, and I will keep my eyes open, and if I see a chance I will
profit by it.”