The captain administered a sharp rebuke to the men who had made the arrest, calling their attention to the fact that the orange chevalier's face and figure bore no resemblance whatever to the well-known description of Giovanni.
"But," cried the little dealer, in dire distress because of his error, "it is none the less true that those very noticeable garments came from my shop, and that they were stolen from my nephew, to whom I delivered them to be sold."
"One moment, old Jew," said Passedix; "what is your nephew's name?"
"Plumard; he is clerk to Maître Bourdinard, solicitor."
"Very good; now we are on the track; and he has a friend, another little villain, even smaller than you, whose name is Bahuchet?"
"And one of them has a plaster on his head, which makes him look like a sick cur?"
"It's my nephew who wears that plaster—in place of hair."
"Well, you damned clothes man, if you had listened to me, I would have told you that your nephew and his friend Bahuchet came to my Hôtel du Sanglier on Place aux Chats, and, knowing that I desired a complete new outfit and that I had inherited a large property, they brought me this orange costume, for which I paid them thirty pistoles in honest crowns."
"Is it possible? You gave them thirty pistoles?"