Rather surprised to see that the three men did not seem to be acquainted with each other, the concierge was about to ask what it meant, when one of the porters addressed her curtly:
"We've come from the South Steamship Company for four boxes from M. Gurn's place. Are those the ones?" and taking no notice of the visitor in the room, the man pointed to two large trunks and two small boxes which were placed in a corner of the room.
"But aren't you three all together?" enquired Mme. Doulenques, visibly uneasy.
The stranger still remained silent, but the first porter replied at once.
"No; we have nothing to do with the gentleman. Get on to it, mate! We've no time to waste!"
Anticipating their action, the concierge got instinctively between the porters and the luggage: so too did the man in the soft hat.
"Pardon," said he politely but peremptorily. "Please take nothing away."
One of the porters drew a crumpled and dirty memorandum book from his pocket and turned over the pages, wetting his thumb every time. He looked at it attentively and then spoke.
"There's no mistake: this is where we were told to come," and again he signed to his mate. "Let's get on with it!"
The concierge was puzzled. She looked first at the mysterious stranger, who was as quiet and silent as ever, and then at the porters, who were beginning to be irritated by these incomprehensible complications.