FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49  
50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   >>   >|  
not yet recovered from his confusion at the sight of these two working hand in hand. Five minutes brought them to the door of the Hotel du Nord, and Lepine applied to it a vigorous fist. There was no response, and he pounded again. At last there came the sound of a window being raised, and a night-capped head was thrust out from the upper story. "Who is there?" asked a voice. "Are you the proprietor?" demanded Lepine. "Yes, sir." "Then come down at once." "But what is wrong, sir?" stammered Brisson, to whose frightened eyes those three dark figures huddled in his doorway appeared most sinister. "What is it you require?" "No matter," said Lepine, sternly. "Come down at once and open the door." The window was lowered and some minutes passed. Had the three men at the door been able to see inside the house, they would have been amused at what occurred there, could anything have amused them at that moment. As it was, they merely stamped with impatience and crowded closer to the door, for the rain was falling more heavily. Brisson retreated from the window, his fat countenance fallen into creases of dismay, and plunged back into his bedroom, where his wife, who had also been awakened by the knocking, was sitting up in bed. "What is it, Brisson?" she asked. "There are three men below," gasped Aristide, fumbling for his trousers. "They command that I descend at once and admit them. There is something which tells me it is the police--the police at this hour!" "The police?" and Madame Gabrielle cast a rapid mental glance over their affairs. "Well, admit them; we have no reason to fear the police." "There is that little matter of the wine from your nephew which did not pay the octroi," Brisson reminded her. "Bah!" retorted Madame, who was by far the stronger spirit; "it cannot be that! No one could suspect that; besides, even if they did, they would not come hammering here in the middle of the night. Descend at once and admit them. Assume a bold front, Brisson! Do not let them suspect that you have fear! Go at once! Hasten! I will come as soon as I have found a petticoat." Thus encouraged, Brisson descended and opened the door, holding a lighted candle above his head and presenting as bold a front as his not-too-courageous spirit could muster. The three men crowded past him, without waiting for an invitation or saying a word, and one of them took the door from his hand and closed and bolted it. T
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49  
50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Brisson

 

police

 

window

 

Lepine

 

amused

 

minutes

 

matter

 

spirit

 
suspect
 

Madame


crowded

 

descend

 

reason

 
nephew
 

Aristide

 
glance
 
mental
 
affairs
 

trousers

 
command

Gabrielle

 

fumbling

 

gasped

 

presenting

 

courageous

 

muster

 

candle

 

lighted

 

encouraged

 
descended

opened
 
holding
 
closed
 

bolted

 

waiting

 

invitation

 
petticoat
 
stronger
 
reminded
 

retorted


hammering
 

Hasten

 

middle

 

Descend

 

Assume

 

octroi

 

closer

 

proprietor

 

raised

 

capped