I made no attempt to, and my stout friend impressively announced:
"Fluette's."
"What!" Surprise jerked the exclamation from me; but I kept my voice subdued.
"Fact,"—Stodger nodded his round head impressively,—"Alfred Fluette."
Here indeed was the promise of a pretty state of affairs!
CHAPTER V
THE HIDDEN SAFE
I left the four reporters to Stodger's tender mercies—his instructions did not include any such extreme measures as Maillot had suggested—confident that he was the proper person to relieve me of this unwelcome intrusion. It has always been hard for me to talk to these sharp-eyed, alert young chaps of the press, without saying something I had no business to say. Even if I did n't say it, some one of them would be sure to make a pretty shrewd guess, sometimes causing me no end of trouble. Stodger knew nothing of my intentions; therefore he could let nothing slip that might in any way affect my future movements.
Maillot's note despatched, I directed my attention to ascertaining just what Alexander Burke meant by his reference to the ruby.