The
telling of the tale was not easy, and the expression of 'Toinette
Brellier's tear-misted eyes added to the difficulty of it. But he knew
he must spare no detail; in fairness to the man who stood in the dock,
in fairness to the Law he served, and in whose service he had unravelled
this riddle which at first had seemed so inexplicable.
Then the judge spoke.
"The court must congratulate you, Mr. Cleek," he said in his fine,
metallic voice, "upon the very excellent and intricate work you have done
on this case. Believe me, the Law appreciates it, and I, as one of its
humble exponents, must add my admiration to the rest. Permit me, however,
to ask one or two questions. In the first place, before we proceed
further with the case, I should like you to give me any explanation that
you can relative to the matter of what the prisoner here has told us with
regard to the story of the Frozen Flame. This gentleman has said that the
story goes that whenever a new victim had been claimed by the flames,
that he completely vanishes, and that another flame appears in amongst
its fellows.
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