"Let me see," he said coming over.
But Marie hastily bound a bit of rag round her hand.
"The great thing is to exclude the air," she said quickly. "Then you mean to be on the lookout for these grand robbers, M. Plon?"
"Yes, instead of idling away my time up here," he said, rolling towards the door. "But you women dearly love a little gossip, don't you? And though you are not the best of managers, Madame Didier, no one can say you don't work with industry. So keep a good heart. You shall hear if I get the reward."
As the sound of his heavy footsteps creaked down the stairs, Jean came out and flung himself on the chair which M. Plon had occupied.
"Now that that old idiot has taken himself off, let's see what he was talking about."
"Is it true about the robbery?" asked Marie, leaning over his shoulder.
"So it seems."
"And the reward?"
"Twelve thousand francs."