"Still... still..." And he added, "Has he no servant at present?"

"No, he is looking for one. He has his meals out and the portress keeps
the house as best she can. The woman is devoted to us..."

Prasville persisted in his investigations for nearly an hour and a half,
shifting and fingering all the knick-knacks, but taking care to put
everything back exactly where he found it. At nine o'clock, however,
the two detectives who had followed Daubrecq burst into the study:

"He's coming back!"

"On foot?"

"Yes."

"Have we time?"

"Oh, dear, yes!"

Prasville and the men from the police-office withdrew, without undue
haste, after taking a last glance round the room to make sure that there
was nothing to betray their visit.

The position was becoming critical for Lupin. He ran the risk of
knocking up against Daubrecq, if he went away, or of not being able to
get out, if he remained. But, on ascertaining that the dining-room
windows afforded a direct means of exit to the square, he resolved to
stay. Besides, the opportunity of obtaining a close view of Daubrecq