The barber, rendered rather uneasy by the vivacity of Urbain's questions, answered hesitatingly,—
"I have made a thousand inquiries, I can discover nothing."
"And this scoundrel who came here yesterday, who is he?"
"I hardly know him. He sometimes came into my shop, for what purpose I do not know, and I swear to you that he must have heard of Blanche's beauty, for he had never seen her, and formed the idea of introducing himself to her."
The barber appeared so sincere in pronouncing these words that Urbain repented of having suspected him.
"Forgive me," said he, "for daring to think—but you would not make us unhappy. You have given me Blanche, you have been to her as a father. Oh, you will join with me, will you not, in endeavoring to find her ravishers?"
"Yes," answered Touquet in a low tone, "I shall second you, I promise you."
"And the name of that man, you must know it?"
"I never dreamt of asking him his name. Yesterday, on my showing him immediately that his love for Blanche was a folly, he retired, making many threats to which I paid little attention."
"Who could have given him the information which led him to wish to see her? and how could he get into Blanche's room?"