FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183  
184   185   186   187   188   189   190   191   192   193   194   195   196   197   198   199   200   201   202   203   204   205   206   207   208   >>   >|  
the table, deathly white. She tried to speak, but the words failed her; it seemed to Coquenil that her eyes met his in desperate appeal, and then, with a glance at Groener, half of submission, half of defiance, she turned and left the room. "Now Madam Bonneton," resumed Groener cheerfully, "while the young lady gets into her finery we might have a little talk. There are a few matters--er--" He looked apologetically at the others. "You and I will meet to-morrow, M. Matthieu; I'll see what I can do for you." "Thanks," said Matthieu, rising in response to this hint for his departure. He bowed politely, and followed by the sacristan, went out. "Don't speak until we get downstairs," whispered Coquenil, and they descended the four flights in silence. "Now, Bonneton," ordered the detective sharply, when they were in the lower hallway, "don't ask questions, just do what I say. I want you to go right across to Notre-Dame, and when you get to the door take your hat off and stand there for a minute or so fanning yourself. Understand?" The simple-minded sacristan was in a daze with all this mystery, but he repeated the words resignedly: "I'm to stand at the church door and fan myself with my hat. Is that it?" "That's it. Then Tignol, who's watching in one of these doorways, the sly old fox, will come across and join you. Tell him to be ready to move any minute now. He'd better loaf around the corner of the church until he gets a signal from me. I'll wait here. Now go on." "But let me say--" began the other in mild protest. "No, no," broke in M. Paul impatiently, "there's no time. Listen! Some one is coming down. Go, go!" "I'm going, M. Paul, I'm going," obeyed Bonneton, and he hurried across the few yards of pavement that separated them from the cathedral. Meantime, the step on the stairs came nearer. It was a light, quick step, and, looking up, Coquenil saw Alice hurrying toward him, tense with some eager purpose. "Oh, M. Matthieu!" exclaimed the girl in apparent surprise. Then going close to him she said in a low tone that quivered with emotion: "I came after you, I must speak to you, I--I know who you are." He looked at her sharply. "You are M. Coquenil," she whispered. "You saw it?" he asked uneasily. She shook her head. "I _knew_ it." "Ah!" with relief. "Does _he_ know?" The girl's hands closed convulsively while the pupils of her eyes widened and then grew small. "I'm afraid so," she murmur
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183  
184   185   186   187   188   189   190   191   192   193   194   195   196   197   198   199   200   201   202   203   204   205   206   207   208   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Coquenil

 

Bonneton

 

Matthieu

 

sharply

 

whispered

 
sacristan
 

church

 

minute

 
Groener
 
looked

coming

 
Listen
 
obeyed
 
cathedral
 

Meantime

 

separated

 
hurried
 

pavement

 

impatiently

 

corner


signal

 
failed
 

protest

 

nearer

 

uneasily

 

emotion

 

relief

 
afraid
 

murmur

 

widened


pupils

 
closed
 

convulsively

 
quivered
 
hurrying
 
apparent
 

surprise

 

deathly

 

exclaimed

 

purpose


stairs

 
flights
 

silence

 

ordered

 

detective

 

descended

 

downstairs

 

finery

 

questions

 

hallway