"No one this evening? Nothing happened?"
"No," replied Jules in a servile tone. "The journalist brought the mistress back and then went off at nine o'clock...."
"No news of Alfred?" asked the voice.
The third person answered:
"Why, no. You know very well he is always at the Dépôt."
"Let us set to work!" said voice number one.
Fandor felt that the decisive moment had arrived: someone opened the cover of the trunk and feverish hands were turning over the confused mass of objects in the top compartment.
"Didn't you find anything?" asked the voice of Jules.
"No, no, monsieur! I searched everywhere; but as I do not read easily, it's difficult for me...."
"Imbecile!" murmured the voice.