We had a number of glasses together, and by midnight I began
to see double. He then began to propose a plan, which, he swore, would
make us both rich. It was to steal the plate from a superb mansion.
There would be no risk for me; he would take charge of the whole affair.
"I had only to help him over the wall, and keep watch. The proposal was
tempting--was it not? You would have thought so, if you had been in my
place, and yet I hesitated. But the fellow insisted. He swore that he
was acquainted with the habits of the house; that Monday evening was a
grand gala night there, and that on these occasions the servants didn't
lock up the plate. After a little while I consented."
A fleeting flush tinged Lecoq's pale cheeks. "Are you sure he told you
that the Duc de Sairmeuse received every Monday evening?" he asked,
eagerly.
"Certainly; how else could I have known it! He even mentioned the name
you uttered just now, a name ending in 'euse.'"
A strange thought had just flitted through Lecoq's mind.
"What if May and the Duc de Sairmeuse should be one and the same
person?" But the notion seemed so thoroughly absurd, so utterly
inadmissible that he quickly dismissed it, despising himself even for
having entertained it for a single instant. He cursed his inveterate
inclination always to look at events from a romantic impossible side,
instead of considering them as natural commonplace incidents. After all
there was nothing surprising in the fact that a man of the world, such
as he supposed May to be, should know the day set aside by the Duc de
Sairmeuse for the reception of his friends.
Pages:
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350