The journalist was all eyes and ears. He signed to Elizabeth that she must keep quiet, so as not to intimidate the good fellow.
"Come now, what is it you have seen?"
"What I've seen?... Why, I saw Dollon break bounds!"
At this statement Elizabeth grew white as a sheet. She jumped up, and with clasped hands rushed towards the keeper:
"Speak, speak quickly, I implore you!" she cried.
Fandor drew Elizabeth back gently, and whispered a few words to her. He turned to the keeper:
"Mademoiselle has also come to make a statement regarding this affair," he explained. "That is why she is so interested in what you have just told us.... But tell us how you saw Jacques Dollon escape!"
"Well, I had got up a bit earlier than usual to see that the anchors and mooring were all right, and I thought I saw what looked like a big bundle fall into the river from the sewer opening—only I was half asleep and didn't take much notice; for, what with all the rain we've been having, there's no end of filthy stuff tumbling out of the mouth of the sewers. But, a few minutes after that, I noticed that the bundle, instead of going with the flow of the current, was drifting across the Seine, plainly making for the bank. There could be no mistake about that!"
Elizabeth Dollon cried:
"And then? And then?"