"You wretched man!" exclaimed the young detective, "to
betray our plans to the enemy!"
But his calmness soon returned. If at first sight the evil seemed to
be beyond remedy, on further thought it had a good side after all. It
sufficed to dispel all the doubts that had assailed Lecoq's mind after
his visit to the Hotel de Mariembourg.
"However," quoth our hero, "this is not the time for deliberation. I
am overcome with fatigue; take a mattress from the bed for yourself, my
friend, and let us get a little sleep."
Lecoq was a man of considerable forethought. Hence, before going to bed
he took good care to wind up his alarm so that it might wake him at six
o'clock. "With that to warn us," he remarked to his companion, as he
blew out the candle, "there need be no fear of our missing the coach."
He had not, however, made allowance for his own extreme weariness or
for the soporific effect of the alcoholic fumes with which his comrade's
breath was redolent. When six o'clock struck at the church of St.
Eustache, the young detective's alarm resounded faithfully enough, with
a loud and protracted whir. Shrill and sonorous as was the sound, it
failed, however, to break the heavy sleep of the two detectives. They
would indeed, in all probability, have continued slumbering for several
hours longer, if at half-past seven a sturdy fist had not begun to
rap loudly at the door. With one bound Lecoq was out of bed, amazed
at seeing the bright sunlight, and furious at the futility of his
precautions.
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