As Riche and Marcel entered the hall the General stepped up to the coachman, and handing him a bank note dismissed him.
"Now, gentlemen, pray retire to your rooms, and when you are ready you will find me waiting for you in the hall."
As soon as Riche and Marcel had retired to their rooms, the General entered his, and after completing his ablutions and exchanging his military clothes for a civilian costume he returned to the hall. A few minutes later Riche and Marcel came down the stairs together.
"I say, professor, where have you sprung from?" said Marcel. "By the way, have you noticed a General in full uniform in the hotel?"
"No, I've seen no military man at all here, but I happened to notice a General in full uniform drive up to the front and enter the hotel. He was a fine, venerable looking man with white hair and a greyish white moustache and beard."
"That's the gentleman we want. You have described him exactly. But where has he gone to?" they enquired eagerly.
"I can't imagine. I only know that I heard him order the coachman to drive away, as he would not be wanted again."
"Surely, professor, you must be mistaken," replied
Marcel, "as the General not only got us out of a terrible scrape, but was kind enough to drive us here and actually invited us to lunch. In fact he bid us remove the traces of our scrimmage with those beastly gendarmes who tried to arrest us, and then meet him here in the hall."