With a sigh, he said—
“Tell me everything in detail.”
Baudoin resumed one by one all the events that had taken place at Ars. He depicted the character of Madame Vignola, and of Agostini, and finally explained the dreaded intervention of Hans. Motionless, the magistrate listened, taking short notes from time to time. The time sped swiftly along, the sun as it sank tinged with a ruddy glow the waters of the Seine, and the veil of darkness had fallen when the magistrate ceased listening, and began to question.
“So this Cesare Agostini is in Paris?”
“M. Graff, M. Marcel’s uncle, has seen him, and M. Marcel has spoken to him. It appears he is engaged to the daughter of M. Lichtenbach, the banker.”
“Lichtenbach? A man in his position, with his fortune and relations? Is it possible?”
“You will see. If you wish to know where Agostini lives, set a watch over Lichtenbach. They are hand and glove with one another.”
“And the woman Vignola?”
“Agostini will take you to her abode. And when you have the Vignola, you come to Hans, and the rest of the accomplices, if there are any. And I believe there is a whole gang of them!”
“And what will M. Marcel Baradier do?”