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The photograph showed Victoire in her Sunday best, and with her a boy of seventeen or eighteen. Guerchard's eyes glued themselves to the face of the boy. He stared at it, holding the portrait now nearer, now further off. His eyes kept stealing covertly from the photograph to the face of the Duke. The Duke caught one of those covert glances, and a vague uneasiness flickered in his eyes.
"What were they doing?" said Guerchard. "They were taking the pictures off the walls and carrying them out of the window down the ladder," said Victoire. Guerchard's eyes flickered towards the Duke, but the expression of earnest inquiry on his face never changed.
The expression of wonder faded from Guerchard's face, and he went on, "Well, Holmlock Shears recovered the Blue Diamond, and Ganimard nabbed Lupin. He held him for ten minutes, then Lupin escaped." "What became of the fair-haired lady?" said the Duke. "I don't know. I have heard that she is dead," said Guerchard. "Now I come to think of it, I heard quite definitely that she died."
"I have that feeling I have that feeling," said Guerchard quietly. The Duke smiled. They were silent. The Duke walked to the fireplace, stepped into it, and studied the opening. He came out again and said: "Oh, by the way, M. Formery, the policeman at the front door wanted to stop me going out of the house when I went home to change. I take it that M. Guerchard's prohibition does not apply to me?"
With him a great name was about to be extinguished.... Did I hesitate? ... No.... I continued it," said Lupin. He paused and looked at the clock. "A quarter to eight," he said, hesitating. "Shall I telephone to Sonia, or shall I not? Oh, there's no hurry; let the poor child sleep on. She must be worn out after that night-journey and that cursed Guerchard's persecution yesterday.
Guerchard's husky voice had hardened to a rough harshness; there was a ring of acute anxiety in it, and under the anxiety a faint note of challenge, of a challenge that dare not make itself too distinct. His anxious, challenging eyes burned on the face of the Duke, as if they strove with all intensity to pierce a mask.
She will run right into Guerchard's arms. Why the devil don't they answer? They must be deaf!" And he rang the bell again. "Let's go to her! Let's get out of here!" cried Victoire, more anxiously. "There really isn't any time to waste." "Go to her? But I don't know where she is. I lost my head last night," cried Lupin, suddenly anxious himself. "Are you there?" he shouted into the telephone.
He dashed into the drawing-room, crossed the room quickly to his cloak, picked it up, took the card-case out of the pocket, and counted the cards in it. Then he looked at the Duke. The Duke smiled at him, a charming smile, almost caressing. There seemed to be a lump in Guerchard's throat; he swallowed it loudly. He put the card-case into the breast-pocket of the coat he was wearing.
The light came flooding in through the hole, and shone on Guerchard's face and its smile of satisfaction. Quickly he pushed row after row of bricks into the next house until he had cleared an opening four feet square. "Come along," he said to the Duke, and disappeared feet foremost through the opening.
In the derangement of their minds and it was sheer derangement, mind you already prepared at Charmerace, in the derangement of Guerchard, I had only to put out my hand and pluck the coronet. And the joy, the ineffable joy of enraging the police! To see Guerchard's furious eyes when I downed him.... And look round you!" He waved his hand round the luxurious room. "Duke of Charmerace!
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