"What is it all about, Mademoiselle?"
Pale and anxious, Marie Pascal rose and advanced to M. Annion's desk, and said, with a trembling voice:
"Monsieur, I went to M. Giraud about a call I wanted to make on his Majesty Frederick-Christian, King of Hesse-Weimar."
"Yes?"
"Well, Monsieur, I was not received by the King."
M. Annion evinced no surprise.
"Unless I am mistaken you are the lace-maker who was so tragically mixed up in the death of Susy d'Orsel?... It was you who found the chemise ... it was you who ... however, go ahead, Mademoiselle, you were received by a secretary, by a chamberlain?"
"No! no! I was received by the King, but by a King who wasn't the real one, but an impostor!"
"Good God!" cried M. Annion.
Here was this impostor affair cropping up again. The girl must be crazy.