"Then the pleasure is all on one side," promptly responded Jean, who was disgusted beyond measure.
Inspector Loup regarded the pair with his fishy eyes half closed. For once in his life he was nonplussed. Nay, if anything could be said to be surprising to Inspector Loup, this meeting was unexpected and surprising. But he was too clever a player to needlessly expose the weakness of his hand.
Mlle. Fouchette's eyes avoided scrutiny. She had given Jean one quick, significant glance and then looked demurely around, as if the matter merely bored her.
Jean understood that glance and was dumb.
Inspector Loup's waiting tactics did not work.
"So my birdies must coo at midnight on the house-tops," he finally remarked.
"Well, monsieur," retorted the young man, "is there any law against that?"
"Where's the lantern?"
"Here," said Jean, turning the bull's-eye on the face of the inspector.
"Bicycle. Is your wheel above, monsieur?" This ironically.