He saw that, at the same time, he was pushing a human body and he could not keep back an exclamation, for he recognized the body at once: "Mauclair! Poor devil! He is dead!" But Mr.Commissary Mifroid, whom nothing surprised, was stooping over that big body.
"No," he said, "he is dead-drunk, which is not quite the same thing." "It's the first time, if so," said the stage-manager "Then some one has given him a narcotic.

That is quite possible." Mifroid went down a few steps and said: "Look!" By the light of a little red lantern, at the foot of the stairs, they saw two other bodies.

The stage-manager recognized Mauclair's assistants.

Mifroid went down and listened to their breathing.
"They are sound asleep," he said.

"Very curious business! Some person unknown must have interfered with the gas-man and his staff ...