"My friend," he
said, addressing M. Casimir, who was lighting him out, "you must
at once have some straw spread over the street so as to deaden the
sound of the vehicles. And to-morrow, you must inform the
commissary of police."
Ten minutes later a thick bed of straw had been strewed across the
thoroughfare, and the drivers of passing vehicles involuntarily
slackened their speed, for every one in Paris knows what this
signifies. M. Casimir personally superintended the work which was
intrusted to the grooms, and he was about to return indoors again,
when a young man, who had been walking up and down in front of the
mansion for more than an hour, hastily approached him. He was a
beardless fellow with a strangely wrinkled face, as leaden-tinted
as that of a confirmed absinthe-drinker. His general expression
was shrewd, and at the same time impudent, and surprising audacity
gleamed in his eyes. "What do you want?" asked M. Casimir.
The young fellow bowed humbly, and replied, "Ah, don't you
recognize me, monsieur? I'm Toto--excuse me--Victor Chupin,
employed by M. Isidore Fortunat."
"Oh, yes. I recollect."
"I came, in obedience to my employer's orders, to inquire if you
had obtained the information you promised him; but seeing that
something had happened at your house, I didn't dare go in, but
decided to watch for you----"
"And you did quite right, my lad. I have no information to give
you--ah, yes! stop! The Marquis de Valorsay was closeted with the
count for two hours yesterday.
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