“Very well. It shall be done. I appoint you—without pay; eh?”
“Certainly. I am now a special, under your orders; but there is one other thing I must have, chief.”
“What is that?”
“Authority.”
“Eh? What sort of authority?”
“A written appointment over your signature; a badge; anything. I don’t care what it is, so long as it bestows the authority I want and gives me the command over any of your men whom I may chance to meet.”
“You shall have that. I will give you the badge which will place you next in authority to me. That place happens to be vacant just now. It shall be yours so long as you remain in Paris. And I will send you to Mouquin. He will show you to what place——”
“Pardon me, chief, but I would prefer it in another way.”
“Well? As you please. What, then?”
“I will sit right here until Mouquin telephones to this office again. When he does so, you will tell him to bring The Leopard here to you. If she should hesitate to come——”