courtyard and across it,under the archway which led past the clerk's desk into the street.
On seeing them, he came out hastily and placed himself in front,quite plainly barring their egress.
"Oh, madame, one moment," he said in a tone that was by no meansconciliatory. "The manager wants to speak to you; he told me totell you, and stop you if you went out."
"The manager can speak to madame when she returns," interposed theGeneral angrily, answering for the Countess.
"I have had my orders, and I cannot allow her--"
"Stand aside, you scoundrel!" cried the General, blazing up; "orupon my soul I shall give you such a lesson you will be sorry youwere ever born."
At this moment the manager himself appeared in reinforcement, andthe clerk turned to him for protection and support.
"I was merely giving madame your message, M. Auguste, when thisgentleman interposed, threatened me, maltreated me--"
"Oh, surely not; it is some mistake;" the manager spoke mostsuavely. "But certainly I did wish to speak to madame. I wished toask her whether she was satisfied with her apartment. I find thatthe rooms she has generally occupied have fallen vacant, in thenick of time. Perhaps madame would like to look at them, andmove?"
"Thank you, M. Auguste, you are very good; but at another time. Iam very much pressed just now. When I return in an hour or two,not now."
The manager was profuse in his apologies, and made no furtherdifficulty.
"Oh, as you please, madame. Perfectly. By and by, later, when youchoose."
The fact was, the desired result had been obtained. For now, onthe far side from where he had been watching, Galipaud appeared,no doubt in reply to some secret signal, and the detective with ashort nod in acknowledgment had evidently removed his embargo.
A cab was called, and Sir Charles, having put the Countess in, wasturning to give the driver his instructions, when a freshcomplication arose.
Some one coming round the corner had caught a glimpse of the ladydisappearing into the fiacre, and cried out from afar.
"Stay! Stop! I want to speak to that lady; detain her." It was thesharp voice of little M. Flocon, whom most of those present,certainly the Countess and Sir Charles, immediately recognized.
"No, no, no--don't let them keep me--I cannot wait now," shewhispered in earnest, urgent appeal. It was not lost on her loyaland devoted friend.
"Go on!" he shouted to the cabman, with all the peremptoryinsistence of one trained to give words of command. "Forward! Asfast as you can drive. I'll pay you double fare. Tell him where togo, Sabine. I'll follow--in less than no time."
The fiacre rattled off at top speed, and the General turned toconfront M. Flocon.
The little detective was white to the lips with rage anddisappointment; but he also was a man of promptitude, and beforefalling foul of this pestilent Englishman, who had again marredhis plans, he shouted to Galipaud--
"Quick! After them! Follow her wherever she goes. Take this,"--hethrust a paper into his subordinate's hand. "It is a warrant forher arrest. Seize her wherever you find her, and bring her to theQuai l'Horloge," the euphemistic title of the headquarters of theFrench police.
The pursuit was started at once, and then the Chief turned uponSir Charles. "Now it is between us," he said, fiercely. "You mustaccount to me for what you have done."
"Must I?" answered the General, mockingly and with a little laugh."It is perfectly easy. Madame was in a hurry, so I helped her toget away. That was all."
"You have traversed and opposed the action of the law. You haveimpeded me, the Chief of the Detective Service, in the executionof my duty. It is not the first time, but now you must answer forit."
"Dear me!" said the General in the same flippant, irritating tone.
"You will have to accompany me now to the Prefecture."
"And if it does not suit me to go?"
"I will have you carried there, bound, tied hand and foot, by thepolice, like any common rapscallion taken in the act who resiststhe authority of an officer."
"Oho, you talk very big, sir. Perhaps you will be so obliging asto tell me what I have done."
"You have connived at the escape of a criminal from justice--"
"That lady? Psha!"
"She is charged with a heinous crime--that in which you yourselfwere implicated--the murder of that man on the train."
"Bah! You must be a stupid goose, to hint at such a thing! A ladyof birth, breeding, the highest respectability--impossible!"
"All that has not prevented her from allying herself with base,common wretches. I do not say she struck the blow, but I believeshe inspired, concerted, approved it, leaving her confederates todo the actual deed."
"Confederates?"
"The man Ripaldi, your Italian fellow traveller; her maid,Hortense Petitpre, who was missing this morning."
The General was fairly staggered at this unexpected blow. Half anhour ago he would have scouted the very thought, indignantlyrepelled the spoken words that even hinted a suspicion of SabineCastagneto. But that telegram, signed Ripaldi, the introduction ofthe maid's name, and the suggestion that she was troublesome, thethreat that if the Countess did not go, they would come to her,and her marked uneasiness thereat--all this implied plainly theexistence of collusion, of some secret relations, some secretunderstanding between her and the others.
He could not entirely conceal the trouble that now overcame him;it certainly did not escape so shrewd an observer as M. Flocon,who promptly tried to turn it to good account.
"Come, M. le General," he said, with much assumed _bonhomie_. "Ican see how it is with you, and you have my sincere sympathy. Weare all of us liable to be carried away, and there is much excusefor you in this. But now--believe me, I am justified in saying it--now I tell you that our case is strong against her, that it isnot mere speculation, but supported by facts. Now surely you willcome over to our side?"
"In what way?"
"Tell us frankly all you know--where that lady has gone, help usto lay our hands on her."
"Your own people will do that. I heard you order that man tofollow her."
"Probably; still I would rather have the information from you. Itwould satisfy me of your good-will. I need not then proceed toextremities--"
"I certainly shall not give it you," said the General, hotly."Anything I know about or have heard from the Contessa Castagnetois sacred; besides, I still believe in her--thoroughly. Nothingyou have said can shake me."
"Then I must ask you to accompany me to the Prefecture. You willcome, I trust, on my invitation." The Chief spoke quietly, butwith considerable dignity, and he laid a slight stress upon thelast word.
"Meaning that if I do not, you will have resort to somethingstronger?"
"That will be quite unnecessary, I am sure,--at least I hope so.Still--"
"I will go where you like, only I will tell you nothing more, nota single word; and before I start, I must let my friends at theEmbassy know where to find me."
"Oh, with all my heart," said the little detective, shrugging hisshoulders. "We will call there on our way, and you can tell theporter. They will know where to find us."
CHAPTER XVII
Sir Charles Collingham and his escort, M. Flocon, entered a cabtogether and were driven first to the Faubourg St. Honore. TheGeneral tried hard to maintain his nonchalance, but he was yet alittle crestfallen at the turn things had taken, and M. Flocon,who, on the other hand, was elated and triumphant, saw it. But nowords passed between them until they arrived at the portals of theBritish Embassy, and the General handed out his card to themagnificent porter who received them.
"Kindly let Colonel Papillon have that without delay." The Generalhad written a few words: "I have got into fresh trouble. Come onto me at the Police Prefecture if you can spare the time."
"The Colonel is now in the Chancery: will not monsieur wait?"asked the porter, with superb civility.
But the detective would not suffer this, and interposed, answeringabruptly for Sir Charles:
/> "No. It is impossible. We are going to the Quai l'Horloge. It isan urgent matter."
The porter knew what the Quai l'Horloge meant, and he guessedintuitively who was speaking. Every Frenchman can recognize apolice officer, and has, as a rule, no great opinion of him.
"Very well!" now said the porter, curtly, as he banged thewicket-gate on the retreating cab, and he did not hurry himselfin giving the card to Colonel Papillon.
"Does this mean that I am a prisoner?" asked Sir Charles, hisgorge rising, as it did easily.
"It means, monsieur, that you are in the hands of justice untilyour recent conduct has been fully explained," said the detective,with the air of a