"That's true," said Villebois half to himself. "Well, well, we shall see."
At this moment the door opened, and one of the waiters came up with a note for Payot, and a message to say that the professor would be pleased to meet them in the garden in half an hour.
The note was dated the day before, and ran as follows:
Dear M. Payot,
Please hand over to Renée all the money you have brought with you to Beaulieu, and permit me to have the use of it unconditionally for one day. If you have complete confidence in my powers I shall have the pleasure of returning it to-morrow with interest.
Faithfully yours,
Delapine.
Payot, after reading this note, went up to his room and returned in a few moments with a letter which he handed to his daughter with instructions to give it to Delapine at the very first opportunity. Shortly afterwards, according to the appointment made by Delapine, they all adjourned to the garden where they found him sitting in a little thatched summer-house, still wearing that strange weird look which they had noticed earlier in the morning.
Each in turn tried to draw him into conversation, but in vain. He remained in a dream-like attitude without speaking, while his face was as impassive and mysterious as the Sphinx. The only sign of life was in his eyes which occasionally lit up in an almost unnatural way, and then closed again.
At length he slowly rose from his seat, and with hands clasped behind his back, and with head bent as if in deep thought, walked towards the carriage drawn up in front of the hotel.
As soon as Delapine had taken his seat with the rest of the party, the coachman, who had already received his instructions, drove rapidly to Monte Carlo.
"Have you a letter for me?" asked Delapine, turning to Renée, who sat next to him.