“Agreed,” he said impatiently.
But I was not to be played with by him again. I waited in silence until he had taken a pocket-book from the inside of his coat and counted out five hundred francs, which he kept in his hand.
“Now—” he commanded.
“The man,” I then announced calmly, “will call on me for the document at my lodgings at the hostelry of the ‘Grey Cat’ to-morrow morning at nine o’clock.”
“Good,” rejoined M. Geoffroy. “We shall be there.”
He made no demur about giving me the five hundred francs, but half my pleasure in receiving them vanished when I saw Theodore’s bleary eyes fixed ravenously upon them.
“Another five hundred francs,” M. Geoffroy went on quietly, “will be yours as soon as the spy is in our hands.”
I did get that further five hundred of course, for M. Charles Saurez was punctual to the minute, and M. Geoffroy was there with the police to apprehend him. But to think that I might have had twenty thousand—!
And I had to give Theodore fifty francs on the transaction, as he threatened me with the police when I talked of giving him the sack.
But we were quite good friends again after that until— But you shall judge.