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Well, there is no harm in telling you this Aunt Palmyra was one of my colleagues!" "I suspected as much," thought Juve, "but I wanted him to confirm it." De Loubersac was again the questioner. "Vagualame! You spoke just now of Brocq's mistress: if, as you seem to think, Nichoune had no such relation with the captain, where are we to look for his mistress?"
Hofferman was amiable politeness itself. Dumoulin, rather scandalised that the colonel should encourage such familiarity in a subordinate, was on the point of retiring discreetly. The colonel made him sit down also. Hofferman turned to Captain Muller. "You come amongst us, Monsieur, at a sad moment. You know, of course, that you are Captain Brocq's successor?
"The more I think about it, the more I am tempted to believe that Wilhelmine de Naarboveck was Brocq's mistress oh, in the right way, in all honour! and that in the background, surreptitiously, a third person pushed herself into their confidence was the recipient of their secret, and on this account she could take a good many liberties with them.
"Less the fine," put in Juve-Vagualame with a comical grimace. De Loubersac smiled. "We will speak of that again." There was a pause. "A good deal has happened since the death of Captain Brocq's mistress." Juve-Vagualame remarked. "Is Captain Brocq's mistress dead, too?... Poor girl!" De Loubersac stared hard at the accordion player. "Oh come now, Vagualame! Where are your wits wool-gathering?"
Have you further information about Brocq's death?" "Hum!"... "About Nichoune's death, perhaps?" "Colonel! Have you noticed that for some time past I have not handed you any report from the agent Vagualame?" "The deuce.... What do you imagine that means?"
We of the Intelligence Department are soldiers, and believe in a policy of results: at the present moment we have lost a document: we are searching for it: action must be left to us.... And, Monsieur, I revert to my first question what the devil was the police doing at Captain Brocq's what business was it of theirs?
"Monsieur Juve of the detective force: Colonel Hofferman, head of the Second Bureau." The policeman and the soldier bowed gravely. They awaited the beginning of the conference in a somewhat chilly silence. Monsieur Maranjévol explained that after a short talk with Juve regarding Captain Brocq's death, he had considered it necessary to put him in touch with Colonel Hofferman.
I have so many betrayals that must count against me: betrayal of my country, betrayal of Captain Brocq's love for me! I robbed him in every kind of way: I stole the document referring to the mobilisation scheme: I stole his money bank-notes with the excuse that it was to put the police on the wrong scent and make them believe it was an ordinary burglary.
"In three minutes." Juve sat for a few minutes deep in thought. Then in a changed voice, a solemn voice with a sharp note in it, he said: "You know about Captain Brocq's sudden death, of course?... Let me tell you that I have discovered it was an assassination. It's this affair I am giving all my attention to." When there was mention of the Brocq affair, Fandor started.
He did not believe that Wilhelmine de Naarboveck had been Captain Brocq's mistress; but he knew there was an undecipherable mystery in this girl's life, and he had an intuition that the discovery of this secret would probably throw light on certain points which, as far as he was concerned, had remained obscure. Was this fair-haired girl really the baron's daughter?
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