‘Are you prepared, monsieur, to say that no such conversation took place?’
‘Certainly, I do say it. And I should very much like to know the purport of all these questions.’
‘I am sorry, monsieur, for troubling you with them, and I can assure you they are not idle. The matter is a serious one, though I am not at liberty to explain it fully at present. But if you will bear with me I would like to ask one or two other things. Can you let me have the names of those present at the Toisson d’Or when the conversation about the lotteries took place?’
M. Le Gautier remained silent for some moments.
‘I hardly think I can,’ he said at last. ‘You see, there was quite a fair sized group. Besides Felix, Dumarchez, and myself, I can recollect M. Henri Briant and M. Henri Boisson. I think there were others, but I cannot recall who they were.’
‘Was a M. Daubigny one of them?’
‘You are right. I had forgotten him. He was there.’
‘And M. Jaques Rôget?’
‘I’m not sure.’ M. Le Gautier hesitated again. ‘I think so, but I’m not really sure.’
‘Can you let me have the addresses of these gentlemen?’