"I am very, very sorry for the poor fellow who perished so miserably!" said Valentine; "but I did not know him; and as I can do nothing to avenge him, you will allow me, Monsieur Bahuchet, to turn my attention now to the subject that led me to ask you to call here."
"I am listening, mademoiselle; I am entirely at your service; I desired simply to prove to you that if I returned late to the office, I was not without some excuse. That idiot of a Plumard began at once to make remarks!"
"Enough, monsieur!—Listen: I expect a service from you. Are you disposed to oblige me, and, above all things, never to say a word which may lead anyone to suspect that you have acted by my orders?"
"Mademoiselle, I am entirely devoted to you; and as for my discretion—— Oh! there is no danger!"
"But you are very fond of talking, monsieur, and of telling everything you have learned!"
"Everything! That depends; I know many things now that nobody else knows—secrets; for instance, when Plumard——"
"Well! do you propose to betray them now, monsieur?"
"No, mademoiselle, no! I was about to say; even if Plumard should question me, he would learn nothing.—But what sort of service does mademoiselle require of me?"
"Something very simple and very easy," said Valentine, opening a small desk and taking from it the white plume that Bahuchet had sold her. "Look, Monsieur Bahuchet, do you recognize this plume?"
"Perfectly: it is the one I picked up on Rue Dauphine, under the balcony which Monsieur Léodgard de Marvejols had just scaled."