"Have they been overtaken?" hastily interrupted Cambray, forgetting himself.
"No, they have not—more 's the pity!" returned the marquis. "My detective was not clever enough to perceive the difference between the eight-year-old girl who was carried to your apartments at ten o'clock, and the twelve-year-old little maid whom your friend brought downstairs at eleven, pretending that he was going in search of the lost child's mother. Besides, everything conspired to aid your friend to escape. He was too cunning for us, and got such a start of his pursuers that there was no use trying to follow him. We do not even know in what direction he has gone."
Cambray repressed the sigh of relief which would have lightened his heart, and forced himself to say indifferently:
"Neither the young man nor the child concern me. It is his own family affair, in which I never meddled."
"That is a move I cannot allow, M. Cambray!" sharply responded the marquis. "There are proofs that you are perfectly familiar with his affairs."
Again Cambray smiled scornfully.
"You have evidently searched my lodgings."
"We have done our duty, monsieur. We even tore up the floors, broke your furniture and ornaments,—for which we apologize,—and found nothing suspicious. Notwithstanding this, however, we know very well that you received a letter yesterday warning you of approaching danger. We know very well that you and your friend traced out the route of his flight; we have a witness who listened to your plans, and who fitted together the scraps of the torn letter of warning, and read it."
"And who may this witness be?" queried Cambray.
"The child you picked up in the street."