"Weber?"
"Busy elsewhere."
Lupin walked into M. Formerie's room and at once recognized old Steinweg, sitting on a chair, looking ill and wretched. A municipal guard was standing behind him.
M. Formerie scrutinized the prisoner attentively, as though he hoped to draw important conclusions from his contemplation of him, and said:
"You know who this gentleman is?"
"Why, Steinweg, of course! . . ."
"Yes, thanks to the active inquiries of M. Weber and of his two officers, the brothers Doudeville, we have found Mr. Steinweg, who, according to you, knows the ins and outs of the Kesselbach case, the name of the murderer and all the rest of it."
"I congratulate you, Monsieur le Juge d'Instruction. Your examination will go swimmingly."
"I think so. There is only one 'but': Mr. Steinweg refuses to reveal anything, except in your presence."
"Well, I never! How odd of him! Does Arsène Lupin inspire him with so much affection and esteem?"