“Yes, I wanted to know at what time I could speak to Captain Belval in order to thank him.”
“It was you! . . . It was you! . . .” Patrice repeated, more and more thunderstruck.
Essarès’ intonation denoted a certain surprise.
“Yes, wasn’t it a curious coincidence?” he said. “Unfortunately, I was cut off, or rather my call was interrupted by somebody else.”
“Then you heard?”
“What, Captain Belval?”
“Cries.”
“Cries?”
“At least, so it seemed to me; but the connection was very indistinct.”
“All that I heard was somebody asking for you, somebody who was in a great hurry; and, as I was not, I hung up the telephone and postponed the pleasure of thanking you.”