“No, sir,” said the downcast inspector.
“It was unpardonable—absolutely unpardonable!” cried M. Formery. “How is one to work with subordinates like this?”
“It was an oversight,” said Guerchard.
M. Formery turned to him and said, “You must admit that it was materially impossible for me to see her.”
“It was possible if you went down on all fours,” said Guerchard.
“On all fours?” said M. Formery.
“Yes; on all fours you could see her heels sticking out beyond the mattress,” said Guerchard simply.
M. Formery shrugged his shoulders: “That screen looked as if it had stood there since the beginning of the summer,” he said.
“The first thing, when you’re dealing with Lupin, is to distrust appearances,” said Guerchard.
“Lupin!” cried M. Formery hotly. Then he bit his lip and was silent.