"I will see him at once," he said.
Crochard rose also.
"And I will accompany you. That is all the information I have at present, sir," he added to Delcassé.
"It is a great deal," said the Minister quickly. "Just before you came, I was remarking to Lépine that what we needed in this affair was a man of genius. Well, I think that we have found him!"
Crochard flushed with pleasure.
"I thank you, sir," he said.
"And I thank you for coming to me," said Delcassé. "You are doing France a great service. I shall not forget it. Until morning, then."
Crochard bowed and left the room with the two detectives.
Delcassé sat for a moment deep in thought; then he summoned his secretary, gave the necessary order about the photographs and dictated a cipher telegram to the chief of his secret service at Berlin. That done, he bade his secretary good night, dismissed him and went to bed.
But not to sleep. Turning at full length upon his back, his arms above his head, he stared steadily up into the darkness until his brain, freed of all lesser problems, all vagrant thoughts, was concentrated upon the great problem which now confronted it: