Fauvel’s valet, and he won as often as he liked; he is a fellow who has no knowledge of anything but billiards. I made his acquaintance the day before yesterday and now I am his best friend. I am sure of his support if I apply for Antonin’s berth as messenger.’

‘What, you a messenger!’

‘Yes, I must take the position to make inquiries there.’

‘Did not the valet tell you anything?’

‘Nothing of much use. The banker is a saint. He has no vices. He does not drink, gamble or keep a mistress. He is enormously rich and lives frugally. He loves his wife and children; he often has visitors but rarely goes out.’

‘How old is his wife?’

‘About fifty.’

‘Have you found out,’ Madame Alexandré asked, ‘about the other members of the family?’

‘Oh, yes. The younger son is an officer somewhere. The elder, Lucien, lives with his parents and is a model of virtue. I have found out nothing about the wife or the niece.’

‘Do you know what I would do if I were in your place?’

‘No.’

‘I would consult M. Lecoq.’

The name made Fanferlot jump.

‘That is fine advice,’ he said. ‘I should lose my position if he even suspected what I was doing.’

‘I mean, ask his advice in an offhand way.’

‘Perhaps you are right,’ the detective said, ‘but he is very clever and might guess. I will think it over. But how about Madame Nina Gypsy?’

The poor girl by coming to stay at the Grand-Archange Hôtel thought she was acting upon good advice and following Prosper’s instructions. When she received a summons from M. Patrigent she admired the quickness of the police in finding her hiding-place, especially as she was staying there in her real name of Palmyre Chocareille.

‘The girl is still upstairs,’ Madame Alexandré replied, ‘and suspects nothing. I do not know what the magistrate said to her, but she came back in a terrible rage, and wanted to go and see M. Fauvel and make a scene. Then she wrote a letter and gave it to Jean to post. Here it is.’

The letter was addressed to

Monsieur L. DE CLAMERAN,

Ironmaster,

Hôtel du Louvre.

To forward to M. Raoul de Lagors (very urgent).

Fanferlot unfastened the letter with great skill and read:

‘M. RAOUL,

‘Prosper is in prison accused of a robbery which I am sure he has not committed. I wrote to you three days ago about it—’

‘How could she have written without me seeing the letter?’ Fanferlot interrupted. ‘She must have posted it when she went to the Court.’

He went on reading:

‘I have already written to you and received no reply. Who will come to Prosper’s aid if his best friends abandon him? If you leave this letter without reply, I shall consider myself freed from my promise and, without a scruple, I shall tell Prosper the conversation between you and M. de Clameran I overheard. But I can rely upon you, can’t I? I shall expect you at the Hôtel Grand-Archange between midday and four o’clock tomorrow.

‘NINA GYPSY.’

Fanferlot at once proceeded to copy the letter and then put it back in its envelope. The porter opened the door and made a sign, and Fanferlot had only just time to disappear into a room at the back when Madame Gypsy entered.

She was very much changed.