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D'Aubrac came to, while this was being accomplished, begged feebly for water, was given it with a little brandy to boot and, comfortably settled in the rear seat, between Louise de Montalais and her grandmother, relapsed once more into unconsciousness. Learning that Madame de Montalais would drive, Duchemin dissembled a sigh of relief and, standing beside the car, doffed his cap to say good-bye.
But Duchemin searched his memory in vain for anything he could have said or done to make anybody desire to discredit him in the sight of the ladies of the Château de Montalais. Still the attempt so to do had been unmistakable: the Lone Wolf had been lugged into the conversation literally by his legendary ears.
"What about the car, Phin?" Examining his wrist watch, Phinuit drew near his employer. "Jules should not need more than half an hour now, monsieur." Was there, in this employment of French to respond to a question couched in English, the suggestion of a subtle correction? From employé to employer? If not, why must Duchemin have thought so?
"I am sorry, mon ami," the woman said, hesitating after she had left her chair before the fire; whose play of broken light was, perhaps, responsible for some of the softness of her eyes as she faced Duchemin and gave him her hand "sorry our last evening together must be so brief. I am in the mood to sit and talk with you for hours to-night..." "If you could only manage even one, madame!"
"Nobody is accused," Crane cut in hastily. "You have found no clues ?" "Nary clue." "What I want to say to you, Monsieur Duchemin, is this: the stolen property has got to be recovered before this ship makes her dock in New York. It means the loss of my command if it isn't. It means more than that, according to my information; it means a disastrous calamity to the Allied cause.
"Mademoiselle will explain?" "I have a suspicion that this Monsieur Duchemin was guilty in intention; but when it came to put his intention into execution, he found he had been anticipated." "Mademoiselle is too clever for me. Now I should never have thought of that." "He would have been wiser to stay and fight it out. The very fact of his flight confesses his guilt."
Then a hand like a vice gripped his windpipe, he was on his back, his head overhanging the edge of the floor, a thumb was feeling for one of his eyes. Yet it could not have been much later when he and his opponent were standing and swaying as one, locked in an embrace of wrestlers. Still, Duchemin knew as many tricks of hand-to-hand fighting as the other, perhaps a few more.
"Then, with permission, I shall remain and ask her to vouch for me," Lanyard suggested in resignation, since it appeared he was not to be permitted to escape this girl, that destiny was not yet finished with their entanglement. "I shall be glad if you will, sir.... Monsieur Duchemin," Stanistreet began, but hesitated "or do you prefer another style?" "I am content with Duchemin."
"Then I understand Monsieur Duchemin must have told you ?" The girl addressed Stanistreet. "Permit me to leave you " Lanyard interposed. "No," she begged "please not! I've nothing to say that you may not hear. You have been too much involved " "If mademoiselle insists," Lanyard demurred. "I feel it is not right I should stay.
Duchemin squirmed frantically to one side, and felt cold metal kiss the skin over his ribs as the blade penetrated his clothing, close under the armpit.
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