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Women are born actresses, and at need can assume any part, convey any impression. Might not the Countess have wished to be dissociated from the maid, and therefore have affected complete ignorance of her flight? "I will try her further," said M. Floçon to himself. But then, supposing that the maid had taken herself off of her own accord? Why was it? Why had she done so?
"The Marquis de Boissy made an effort to get a hearing on the state of Paris, but, of course, it was in vain." "Is it true," asked Flocon, "that the rappel has been beaten to-day?" "It was beaten in the Quartier St. Honoré, at dawn," said Louis Blanc, "and this evening, at about five o'clock, in several of the arrondissements. But no reliance need be placed on the National Guard.
Let us proceed in that way. Prepare the warrants," said the Judge, turning to his clerk. "And you," he went on, addressing M. Floçon, "dear colleague, will you see to their execution? Madame is at the Hôtel Madagascar; that will be easy. The Italian Ripaldi we shall hear of through your inspector Block. As for the maid, Hortense Petitpré, we must search for her.
Every one and everything awaited the arrival of this all-important functionary. M. Floçon, the Chief, was an early man, and he paid a first visit to his office about 7 A.M. He lived just round the corner in the Rue des Arcs, and had not far to go to the Prefecture. But even now, soon after daylight, he was correctly dressed, as became a responsible ministerial officer.
"Quite so," M. Floçon readily admitted, with a scarcely concealed sneer. He had quite made up his mind now that it was the Countess who had rung the alarm-bell, in order to allow of the escape of the maid, her confederate and accomplice. "And you still have an impression that some one presumably this woman got off the car, somehow, during the stoppage?" he asked. "I suggest it, certainly.
He was a lawyer of talent, who had gained celebrity as advocate of the accused on many occasions of State prosecutions. Flocon was an older man than Rollin, and his countenance bore the wary, vigilant and suspicious look which experience alone gives.
It will be necessary to hold investigations, take their depositions. M. le Juge will be here directly." M. Floçon was soon installed in a room actually communicating with the waiting-room, and as a preliminary of the first importance, taking precedence even of the examination of the sleeping-car, he ordered the porter to be brought in to answer certain questions.
Mother Tontaine put her long finger to her lip. "Not a word! I have found nothing, of course. Nothing, I can swear to that, and you will not forget Mother Tontaine?" Now M. Floçon stood at the open door awaiting the searcher's report. He looked much disconcerted when the old woman took him on one side and briefly explained that the search had been altogether fruitless.
"The author of 'The Laborer of Lyons' must be a man of distinguished literary genius," was the reply. "Better than all," said Flocon, "he is devoted heart and soul to the good cause." "Such devotedness to a cause I never witnessed," said Marrast. "He puts us all to the blush. With him it appears a matter of direct individual interest. He is perfectly untiring. He is like one impelled by his fate.
"As to that I cannot say." "Come, come, General, you were with her constantly; you must be able to tell us. We insist on being told." This fiercely, from the now jubilant M. Floçon. "I repeat that I cannot say. To the best of my recollection, the Countess wore a long travelling cloak an ulster, as we call them. The jacket with those bead ornaments may have been underneath.
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