Don Luis assumed a gentler tone:
“Do him harm? On the contrary, we are looking for him to do him a service, to save him from a great danger.”
“A great danger?” cried M. Vacherot. “Oh, I’m not at all surprised! I never saw him in such a state of excitement.”
“Then he’s been here?”
“Yes, since midnight.”
“Is he here now?”
“No, he went away again.”
Patrice made a despairing gesture and asked:
“Perhaps he left some one behind?”
“No, but he intended to bring some one.”