Villon broke out into hysterical laughter. He came a step forward

and ducked a ridiculous bow at Thevenin, and laughed still louder.

Then he sat down suddenly, all of a heap, upon a stool, and

continued laughing bitterly as though he would shake himself to

Montigny recovered his composure first.

"Let's see what he has about him," he remarked; and he picked the

dead man's pockets with a practised hand, and divided the money

into four equal portions on the table. "There's for you," he said.