United States or Åland ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
You are to be entrusted with this, and I count on your devoting your whole time and attention to it." Captain Muller understood that the conversation was at an end. He rose, saying quietly: "You may count on me, Colonel." He was then given his official instructions. Hofferman left the couch, and, dropping his nail polisher, came towards the captain with outstretched hands.
Whilst Colonel Hofferman and Lieutenant de Loubersac were having their talk, Jérôme Fandor, who was also at the Elysée ball, in his own proper person, was busying himself with the affairs which had led him to consider that the murder of Captain Brocq was a crime which must be imputed to one of those foreign spies with which France was now swarming.
Above everything, he dreaded being forced to act as umpire between Hofferman and Juve. There was no escape, however, so, with a weary air, he asked Juve to make his case clear. "Well, gentlemen," began our detective, who had fully regained his self-possession, "you know what the circumstances were which led me to the discovery that Captain Brocq had been mysteriously assassinated?
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?
Colonel Hofferman asked himself as he entered the Under-Secretary's room. Monsieur Maranjévol, an exceedingly active and immensely popular deputy from la Gironde, to whom had been entrusted the delicate task of serving as buffer between the civil and the military sections.
"Come in!" cried Hofferman, who was writing hard. An orderly stepped gingerly into the room. "An usher, Colonel, with a message, begging you to be so good as to step downstairs at once to see the Under-Secretary of State." Hofferman looked up. "Are you sure the message is for me?" "Yes, Colonel." "Very well. I am coming immediately." The orderly vanished.
Colonel Hofferman seemed to attach no importance whatever to it. Juve continued: "I should greatly value Colonel Hofferman's opinion regarding the suppositions I am about to formulate. Well, gentlemen, here is what I deduce from my investigations.... Captain Brocq was a simple, modest fellow; a hard worker; reasonable, temperate, serious-minded officer: a good middle-class citizen, in fact.
I could swear he was going to declare he had not been there, when a reply of my own a blunder, I confess it I did not take time to think informed him that I knew of his visit to Nichoune." Colonel Hofferman weighed the gravity of de Loubersac's words; he strode along, head bent, hands clasped behind his back, gazing with unseeing eyes at the pebbles on the path. At last he spoke.
"He comes from Belfort," cried Loreuil: "I know what Hofferman will say to him 'My dear Captain, you enter this day the house of silence and discretion." Loreuil turned to Gaudin. "Where is Lieutenant de Loubersac this morning?" "Why, Captain," explained the old keeper of records, "you must know very well that he has been ordered to act as escort to the King of Greece." "Confound Loubersac!
Commandant Dumoulin, however, knew nothing or did not wish to say anything, and Juve was about to leave, when Colonel Hofferman entered. Hofferman looked radiant. Catching sight of Juve, he smiled. "Ah! Upon my word! I did not expect to find you here, Monsieur ... but, since you are, you will be glad to get some news of the Brocq affair."... Juve's eyes were shining notes of interrogation.
Word Of The Day