Nibet shrugged and threw a glance of disdain at the girl:
"You're going silly! It's this Dollon mess-up!"
The warder gave them an account of what had happened. The two women were all ears, as they followed Nibet's story of events which had thrown the whole legal world into a state of commotion: incomprehensible occurrences, which threatened to turn an ordinary murder case into one of the most mysterious and most popular of assassination dramas.
Mother Toulouche and big Ernestine were well aware that Nibet knew much more than he had told them about the details of the Dollon-Vibray affair; but they dared not cross-examine the warder who was in a nasty mood—nor did the announcement of Emilet's accident add to his gaiety!
"It just wanted that!" he grunted: "And those bundles of lace were to turn up this evening too!"
"Who is to bring them?" asked big Ernestine.
"The Sailor," declared Nibet.
"And who is to receive them?" demanded Mother Toulouche.
"I and the Beadle," answered Nibet in a surly tone. "Come to think of it," went on Nibet, staring hard at big Ernestine, "where is that man of yours—the Beadle?"