‘I wonder, monsieur, if you would be so very kind as to tell me whether the M. Armande Boirac, who is a member of your board, is the brother of M. Raoul Boirac, the managing director of the Avrotte Pump Construction Company of Paris? I went to Malines this morning to see M. Armande, but he was from home, and I do not wish to spend time in finding out his address and communicating with him, unless he really is the man I seek.’
‘Our director, monsieur,’ replied the manager, ‘is a brother of M. Raoul. Though I don’t know the latter personally, I have heard our M. Boirac speak of him. I can also give you M. Armande’s present address, if you require it.’
‘I am exceedingly obliged, monsieur, and should be most grateful for the address.’
‘It is Hôtel Rydberg, Stockholm.’
Lefarge noted it in his book and, with further thanks, left the bank.
‘Now for the Théâtre de la Monnaie,’ he thought. ‘It is just around the corner.’
He crossed the Place de Brouckère, and turned into the Place de la Monnaie. The box office of the theatre was open, and he interviewed the clerk, learning that Berlioz’s Les Troyens was given on the Wednesday night in question, as stated by M. Boirac. But a search for that gentleman’s name through the list of that evening’s bookings was unproductive, though, as the clerk pointed out, this did not mean that he was not present, but only that he had not reserved a seat.
Lefarge’s next visit was to be the Hôtel Maximilian. It was a large modern building occupying a complete block of the Boulevard Waterloo, not far from the Porte Louise. A polite clerk came to the bureau window to attend to him.
‘I am expecting to meet a M. Boirac here,’ Lefarge began. ‘Can you tell me if he is in the hotel?’
‘M. Boirac?’ repeated the clerk, doubtfully, ‘I do not think we have any one of that name here at present.’ He turned over a card index on the desk. ‘No, monsieur, he has not come yet.’