Part 43 (1/2)
Agile as a panther, Vagualame leaped at the girl, caught her wrist in a grip like a vice. The pain of it was intense--Bobinette dropped her weapon.
”No more of this nonsense!” commanded Vagualame in a hard voice.
”Keep cool, I tell you!... Go on to the landing. Look over. See what is happening. You are not to be afraid.”
Struck speechless, Bobinette stared at the old man, who commanded her as a master, and might stand by her as an accomplice--but--those terrifying eyes were not the eyes of her own Vagualame--no! How to act?
She was left no choice. The old man was pus.h.i.+ng her relentlessly towards the door. He must be obeyed.
Listening, on the alert, Juve-Vagualame remained in the room, ready to conceal himself behind the curtains. Who were these mounting the stairs? Some of the household? Suppose Bobinette's agitation was so marked that it aroused their suspicions, and his presence was revealed?... Should the position become untenable, he would leave by the window, close to which he was standing, make his way over the roofs to a neighbouring house--but--confound it!... neither the gun piece would be in his hands, nor would he have learned where Bobinette had her rendezvous with Corporal Vinson next morning!...
Bobinette was swaying in the doorway, as though the landing were red-hot ploughshares to be walked on! The ordeal was beyond her!
Four persons set foot on the landing. (A peremptory order from de Naarboveck had caused Wilhelmine to descend.)
Inspector Michel and his colleague stared at the individuals in whose company they found themselves--the young groom and his amazing mother!
With a caricatural gesture of disdain, and an off-handed air, this corpulent personage demanded stridently:
”Who are these gentlemen?”
Inspector Michel looked the outrageous creature up and down.
”Who are you, Madame?... What are you doing here?”
The inspector's tone was severity itself.
Juve, behind his window-curtains, breathed a sigh of relief.
”Ah, Michel has it in hand! That's all right!”
The groom's mother was taken aback--she hesitated; thereupon, Inspector Michel stated his name and rank! On that, the large body of this irrepressible personage made straight for him, caught him familiarly by the neck, and whispered in his ear.
The effect of the whispered words was to put Inspector Michel out of countenance: he looked abashed. He was annoyed: his tone was one of protest.
”I recognise you now, certainly--Monsieur!... But since when have you taken it upon yourself to--to start operations of the kind we have in hand--_we_, the representatives of Police Headquarters?”
The woman's retort was haughty.
”I belong to the information department of the Second Bureau.”
”The Second Bureau does not make arrests--not that I am aware of--Captain!”
The obstreperous mother of the pretended groom was--Captain Loreuil!
Pointing to his young companion, Captain Loreuil announced:
”This gentleman belongs to the secret service department of the Home Office!... But what really matters, Inspector, is that we are losing time! Let us effect a capture--the capture is the thing!”
The distracted Bobinette, still swaying in the doorway, failed to grasp the full meaning of what these intruders were saying. Inspector Michel marched up to the trembling girl.