XII
FOLLOWING JOSEPHINE
The captives had been recognised, and had been set at liberty. They hadscarcely got a few yards from the police station, when Juve took thejournalist's arm.
"Let's make haste!" he cried. "This foolish arrest has made us loseprecious hours."
"You have a plan, Juve? What is it?"
"We must now turn our attention to Josephine; we must use her as a baitto catch the others. The girl won't be much longer at Lariboisiere. Shewill be extremely anxious to leave that place and----"
"And go back to clear herself of treachery in Loupart's eyes? Is thatit?" added Fandor.
"Exactly. Accordingly here is our plan of action. I must go at once tothe Prefecture and advise M. Havard of our adventure. Meanwhile you goto the hospital. Contrive to see Josephine, make sure she has not left,watch her and then--wait for me; in two hours, at the latest, I shall bewith you."
"All right, Juve, you can reckon on me. Josephine shall not escape me."
Fandor was already moving off when Juve called him back.
"Wait! If ever for one reason or another you want an appointment withme, telegraph to the Safety, room 44, in my name. I will see that themessages always reach me."
A quarter of an hour later Fandor was turning into the Rue AmbroisePare, when all at once as he passed a woman he gave a start.
"Hullo!" he cried; "that's something we didn't bargain for!..."
The woman walked along the Boulevard Chapelle toward the BoulevardBarbes. Fandor followed her.
When the great clock which adorns the main front of the Lariboisierebuildings struck six, the nurses in the hospital were busy finishingtheir preparations for the night.
The surgeon in Dr. Patel's division was just concluding his eveningvisit to the patients. With a word of encouragement and cheer he passedfrom bed to bed until he reached the one at the end of the ward. Theyoung woman occupying it was sitting up.
"So you want to be off," exclaimed the surgeon.
"Yes, doctor."
"Then you're not comfortable here?"
"Yes, doctor, but----"
"But, what? Are you still afraid?"
"No, no."
The patient spoke these last words so confidently that the surgeon couldnot help smiling.
"Do you know," he observed, "that in your place I should be much lessconfident. What are you going to do? Where do you think of going whenyou leave here? Come, now, you are still very weak; you had much betterspend the night here. You could go to-morrow morning after the round ateleven. It would be much more rational."
The young woman shook her head and replied curtly:
"I want to go now, sir, at once."
"Very good. They will give you your ticket."
The doctor gone, the young woman quickly jumped out of bed and began todress herself.
"You don't suppose I'm going to stay here a minute longer than I haveto," she grumbled with a laugh to her neighbour, who was watching herpreparations with an envious eye.
"Some one waiting for you?"
"Sure there is. Loupart won't be pleased that I'm not back yet."
"Are you going from here to his place?"
"You bet I am."
This she said in a tone that showed plainly she found the thing quitenatural. The other was not of her mind.
"Oh, well, I should be scared only at the thought of seeing that man.You were jolly lucky not to have been killed by him. And when he has gothold of you----"
But Josephine laughed merrily.
"My dear," she said, "you don't know what you're saying. Depend on it,if Loupart didn't kill me it's because he didn't want to. He's asplendid shot. I suppose he had his reasons for not wanting me to stayhere; I don't know his affairs, and besides, I came here withoutconsulting him."
A vigorous "hush" from the nurse on duty stopped the conversation.
Josephine meanwhile completed her toilet. A nurse had brought her backthe clothes she wore when she entered the hospital. She slipped on apoor muslin skirt, laced her bodice, buttoned her boots and set hercurls straight; she was ready.
"I'm off," she cried gaily to the porter as she held out her pass tohim. "Thank the Lord, I'm going, and I have no fancy to come back toyour hotel!"
Once in the street, Josephine walked quickly. She cast a glance at theclock at a cabstand, and found she was behind time.
She went along the Rue Ambroise Pare, then turned on to the outerboulevards.
The dinner-hour being at hand, the populous streets of the Chapellequarter were at their lowest ebb of animation. The bookshops had longsince released their employees, the cafes were giving up theircustomers. Fandor, having recognised Josephine, followed her closely asshe passed the outer boulevards, then by Boulevard Barbes.
"Beyond a doubt she is bound for the Goutte d'Or," he muttered.
Some minutes later, sure enough, she reached her home.
"Very good! The bird is back in the nest: My job is now to watch thevisitors who come to call on her."
Opposite Josephine's door there was a wine-shop. This Fandor entered.
"Writing materials, please," he ordered. "I must drop a line to Juve,"he thought. "We must begin to set the trap."
He was busy drawing up a detailed plan of the neighbourhood when, onraising his head, he gave a violent start, and, throwing a coin on thetable, rushed out of the shop.
"She is well disguised, but there's no mistaking her!"
Without losing sight of the woman he was watching, Fandor reached theMetropolitan Station.
"Good Lord! What does this mean?" he muttered. "Where is she off to?She's taking a first-class ticket. Can she have an appointment withChaleck?" He also took a ticket behind the young woman and reached theplatform.
"I'm going where she goes," he thought. "But where the devil are webound for?"
Loupart's mistress was the embodiment of a charming Parisian.
Her gown was tailor-made, of navy blue, plain but perfectly cut; shewore little shoes with high heels, and no one would have recognised inthe well-dressed woman, who got out of the Metropolitan at the LyonsStation, the burnisher, who, a little while ago, had left Lariboisiere.
Josephine had scarcely taken a few steps on the great Square whichdivides Boulevard Diderot from the Lyons Station, when a young man,quietly dressed, came toward her. He ogled her, then in a voice ofmarked cordiality, said:
"Can I say a few words to you?"
"But, sir----"
"Two words, mademoiselle, I beg of you."
"Speak," she said at last, after seeming to hesitate, halting on theedge of the pavement.
"Oh, not here; surely you will accept a glass?"
The young woman made up her mind:
"Very well, if you like."
The couple directed their steps toward a neighbouring "brasserie," andneither the young man nor Josephine dreamed of noticing that a passer-byentered the place in their wake.
Fandor did not take a seat at one of the little tables outside, but madefor the interior, cleverly finding means to watch the two in a glass.
"Is this the person Josephine was to meet?" he wondered. "Can he be amessenger of Loupart's? Yet she did not seem to know him. Hullo!"
Just as the waiter was bringing two glasses of wine to the table whereJosephine and her partner had seated themselves, the young womansuddenly arose, and, without taking leave, made for the door.
Fandor managed to pass close to the deserted man. He heard the waiterjokingly say:
"Not very kind, the little lady, eh?"
"I should think not! Didn't take her long to give me the slip."
Then in a tone of regret the young man added: "Pity, she was a nicelittle thing."
"That's all right," thought Fandor. "Now I know that Josephine acceptedthe drink because she thought he was sent by Loupart or one of the gang.Once enlightened as to his real object, she left him abruptly."
Tracking the young woman, Fandor now felt sure he was going to witne
ssan interesting meeting. Josephine, however, seemed in no hurry. Sheinspected the illustrated papers in the kiosks, and presently reachedthe box where platform tickets are distributed; having taken one, shesat down near the foot of the staircase which leads to the refreshmentrooms. Behind her Fandor also took a ticket, and, going up the stairs,leaned against the balustrade.
"I am waiting for some one," he said to the waiter who appeared. "Youmay bring me a cup of coffee."
Scarcely five minutes had passed, when Fandor saw a shabby looking manapproach Josephine and begin an earnest conversation.
The man drew from his pocket a greasy note-book. From it he took a paperwhich he handed to the young woman, who promptly put it away in herhandbag.
Fandor was puzzled.
"Where was she going? Why did this person hand her a ticket?"
The man pointed to a train where passengers were already taking theirseats.
"The Marseilles train! So Loupart has left Paris!"
Then he called a messenger.
"Go and get me a first-class ticket to Marseilles. Here is money. Isthere a telegraph office near at hand?"
"On the arrival platform, sir."
"Right. I will give you a message to take; go and hurry back."
Fandor took out his note-book and scrawled a message:
"Juve, Prefecture of Police, Room 44.
"Have met Josephine and followed her. She is off first class, by Marseilles train. Don't know her destination. Will wire you as soon as there's anything fresh.
"Fandor."