They went back up the stairs, through the opening, into the drawing-room of M. Gournay-Martin’s house. Sure enough, from the other side of the locked door came the excited voice of M. Formery, crying:
“Guerchard! Guerchard! What are you doing? Let me in! Why don’t you let me in?”
Guerchard unlocked the door; and in bounced M. Formery, very excited, very red in the face.
“Hang it all, Guerchard! What on earth have you been doing?” he cried. “Why didn’t you open the door when I knocked?”
“I didn’t hear you,” said Guerchard. “I wasn’t in the room.”
“Then where on earth have you been?” cried M. Formery.
Guerchard looked at him with a faint, ironical smile, and said in his gentle voice, “I was following the real track of the burglars.”
CHAPTER XV
THE EXAMINATION OF SONIA
M. Formery gasped: “The real track?” he muttered.
“Let me show you,” said Guerchard. And he led him to the fireplace, and showed him the opening between the two houses.