"Lead on."
The Burglar bowed and "led on." Didier followed with his hand in his pocket clutching his revolver, prepared for anything that might happen.
He at once saw, seated at a table, two men whom he recognized. One was the Parisian, who now called himself de Saynthine, and whom he had so roughly handled the previous evening for persecuting Giselle and the other was the Joker, who was dressed in black, looking as serious as a solicitor's clerk. He had before him, on the table, a morocco leather portfolio.
M. de Saynthine had risen and, pointing to a chair facing him on the other side of the table, begged Captain d'Haumont to be seated. The Joker nodded slightly, and straightway opened his portfolio, taking from it sundry papers. Pens, paper and an inkstand lay on the table.
"I will sit down when the Burglar, who is standing beside me, has taken his place with you on your side of the table," said d'Haumont, who seemed in no way perturbed.
"Bless me, Captain d'Haumont, my name is Monsieur Toulouse, and I beg you not to forget it, but apart from that there's nothing Monsieur Toulouse wouldn't do to please you." So saying, the Burglar took up his position on the other side of the table; and Didier sat down, placing his revolver in front of him. M. de Saynthine smiled.
"I assure you that this inkstand is all that we shall need," interposed the Joker.
"I'm listening," said Didier, throwing a swift glance round the room. He was placed in such a way that there was no danger from the rear. The room in which he found himself was, like the shop itself, filled with every variety of "reach-me-down." Didier had no need to fear that some confederate was hiding among the toggery. He observed that for the most part it was hanging from the ceiling on iron rods. Moreover it was inconceivable that the Parisian and his gang would admit any other miscreant into the secret.
The room looked out on to a small courtyard, with a glass roof, the high walls of which could be seen. A door with a hatch over it led on to another courtyard. This door was locked. It was through the hatch over the door that Didier caught sight of the courtyard's glass roof. The room was connected with the shop not by a door but by an opening, and, as the two rooms were not on the same level, the shop was reached by means of three worn-out steps.
The Burglar was seated on the Parisian's right, while the Joker was on his left. They looked like a full bench of judges, and as a matter of course the presiding judge, M. de Saynthine, opened the proceedings.