"Not at all," replied M. Paul smoothly. "I only say that——"
"One moment," interrupted M. Simon. "Do I understand that you were with the driver who took this American away from here to-night?"
Coquenil smiled. "I was not with the driver, I was the driver and I had the honor of receiving five francs from my distinguished associate." He bowed mockingly to Gibelin and held up a silver piece. "I shall keep this among my curiosities."
"It was a foolish trick, a perfectly useless trick," declared Gibelin, furious.
"Perhaps not," answered the other with aggravating politeness; "perhaps it was a rather nice coup leading to very important results."
"Huh! What results?"
"Yes. What results?" echoed the judge.
"Let me ask first," replied Coquenil deliberately, "what you regard as the most important thing to be known in this case just now?"
"The name of the woman," answered Hauteville promptly.
"Parbleu!" agreed the commissary.