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How could he unsay all that he had said to her a few days before when he had shown her that this trip to Brazil was quite for the best and bade her a fond farewell? Could he explain it to anyone, even to himself? Did he honestly believe all the plausible things he had said to Pougeot and the others about this crime? Was it really the wonderful affair he had made out?
If ever a great man was guilty in appearance, the Baron de Heidelmann-Bruck was that guilty great man! "I insist on saying " he burst out finally, but the judge cut him short. "You will be heard presently, sir. Call the next witness." The girl withdrew, casting a last fond look at her lover, and the clerk's voice was heard summoning M. Pougeot.
"Don't you like wild country?" laughed Coquenil. "I do." It was plain that his spirits were reviving. They ran along this rough way for several miles, and presently came to a small house standing some distance back from the road. "Stop here!" ordered the detective. "Now," he turned to Pougeot, "I shall learn something that may fix my decision."
"What did he mean by that?" muttered M. Paul, and he sat silent, lost in thought, until the others returned. In a glance, he read the answer in their faces. "It's all right," said the chief. "Congratulations, old friend," beamed Pougeot, squeezing Coquenil's hand. "The préfet was extremely nice," added M. Hauteville; "he took our view at once." "Then my commission is signed?"
I don't know how you look at these things, Pougeot, but I couldn't break in there and take that man away from his wife and child. The woman had been kind to me and trusted me, and well, it was a breach of duty and they punished me for it; but I couldn't do it, I couldn't do it, and I didn't do it." "And you let the fellow go?"
"The house is pulled!" "Gentlemen," began M. Pougeot, while the company listened in startled silence, "I am sorry to interrupt this pleasant gathering, especially as I understand that you are celebrating your national holiday; unfortunately, I have a duty to perform that admits of no delay.
Pougeot nodded crustily and went back into the restaurant, while Coquenil, with perfect equanimity, paid the automobile man and dismissed him. Meantime in the large dining rooms on the street floor everything was going on as usual, the orchestra was playing in its best manner and few of the brilliant company suspected that anything was wrong.
In vain doctor and nurse objected and reasoned; the patient only insisted the more strongly, he wished to have a talk with M. Pougeot at once.
He was evidently dead. "Has anything been disturbed here? Has anyone touched this body?" demanded Pougeot sharply. "No," said the doctor; "Gibelin came in with me, but neither of us touched anything. We waited for you." "I see.
I had put about all that I had into this home for my mother. You see they want to break my heart and they've just about done it." He was silent a moment, then glanced quickly at his watch. "Come, we have no time to lose. My train leaves in an hour. I have important things to explain messages for Pougeot and the girl I'll tell you in the carriage."
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