"That proves, mother, that you did well to say to Ferot, the fisherman of Asnieres, that Martial was sick in bed, and like to die. In this way, when all is over, no one will be astonished." After a moment's pause, as if she wished to escape a horrible thought, the widow said, roughly, "Did La Chouette come here while I was at Asnieres?"
"Yes, mother."
"Why did she not remain and go with us to Bras-Rouge? I am suspicious of her."
"Bah! you suspect everybody, mother: to-day it is La Chouette; yesterday it was Bras-Rouge."
"Bras-Rouge is at liberty; my son is at Toulon; they both committed the same robbery."
"You always repeat that old story. Bras-Rouge escaped because he is as cunning as a steel trap, that's all. La Chouette did not remain here, because she had an appointment at two o'clock, near the Observatory, with the tall man in black, on whose account she carried off this girl from the country, with the assistance of the Maitre d'Ecole and Tortillard; and it was even Barbillon who drove the hack which this tall man in black hired for the occasion. Come, now, mother, why should La Chouette inform against us, since she tells us what jobs she has in hand, and we do not tell her ours? for she knows nothing of our proposed drowning scrape. Be tranquil, mother—dog don't eat dog. The day's work will be a good one. When I think that the broker has often twenty or thirty thousand francs' worth of diamonds in her bag, and that in two hours' time we shall have her in Red Arm's cellar. Thirty thousand francs in diamonds! only think of it."
"And while we hold the broker, Bras-Rouge remains outside?" said the widow, with an air of suspicion.
"And where should he be? If any one should come in, must he not answer, and prevent them approaching the place where we are doing our job?"
"Nicholas, Nicholas!" cried Calabash, from without, "here are the two women."
"Quick, quick, mother! your shawl! I will row you over—it will be so much done," said Nicholas.