“Good-by,” said Ralph.
The interview was at an end; but the real battle was yet to be fought—with a few words. Everything that had been said so far and all these promises were so many trifles to put Jodot off the real scent. The essential thing was to get the sluices going. Would Jodot speak? Would Jodot guess the real situation, the real reason of Ralph’s crafty negotiations?
Never before in his life had Ralph been so anxious. But he said carelessly enough: “I should like very much to see the thing working before I go away. I suppose you couldn’t open the sluices that let the water run away before me?”
“It’s necessary, according to the instructions of the Marquess, for the sluices to be open seven or eight hours before they’ve done their work,” said Jodot.
“Never mind: open them at once. To-morrow morning we shall see, you from here, Aurelie, and I from over there, the whole bag of tricks, that is to say the treasure. The machinery is quite close too, isn’t it? Just beneath us? Near the flood-gates?”
“Yes.”
“Is there a direct path to it?”
“Yes.”
“And you understand the working of it?”
“It’s easy. The instructions show you how quite clearly.” [[302]]