"Is that really so?" exclaimed the ship owner, his wrath giving place to profound astonishment. "Possibly that is the reason he took such pains to conceal his real name and address from me, then."
"Yes, and in order to explain his frequent absences he has given his daughter to understand that he sells dry goods on a commission, so you can understand my embarrassment when I saw you drop down upon us from the clouds."
"But why didn't you ask me to keep the secret?"
"That was what I wanted to speak to you in private about. After you refused, it was like treading on live coals to continue the conversation, and when I saw you were certain to let the cat out of the bag there was nothing for me to do but tumble you down the cliff to get you away from Mlle. Sabine and the housekeeper. It was pretty rough treatment, I admit, but I could see no other way out of the difficulty."
"I forgive you, Segoffin," said M. Verduron, magnanimously. "I must even admit that it was very clever of you to—"
"Where are they? Where are they?" shouted M. Cloarek's voice high above their heads.
"They both fell over the cliff, monsieur," replied the voice of Thérèse.
Almost immediately Yvon's head appeared above the parapet.
On seeing the ship owner, he stood a moment as if stupefied, then remembering that M. Verduron's presence imperilled the secret he was so anxious to guard, he exclaimed: