The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1918-07-04
CHAPTER ELEVEN
ROUTED.

IL dppSdICu w tdhC ulul uld oICS,
and he repeated more than once:
"Ah, Weber is here! Weber
is here!"
All his buoyancy left him, and
he felt like a ~retreating army
which, after almost making good
its escape, suddenly finds itself
brought to a stop by a steep
mountain. Weber was there
that is to say, the chief leader OF
the enemies, the man who would
be sure to plan the attack and the
resistance in such a manner as to
dash Perenna's hopes to the
ground. With Weber at the head
of the detectives, any attempt to
force a way out would have been
absurd.
"Did you let him inf" he
asked.
"You did not tell me not to,
sir"
"Is he alone?"
"No, sir, the deputy chief has
six men with him. He has left
them in the courtyard"
"And where is he?"
"He asked me to take him to
the first floor. He expected to
find you in your study, SIR"
"Does he know now that l am
with Sergeant MazerOuX and Mile.
Levasseur?"
eyes, SIR"
Perenna thought for a moment
and then said:
"Tell him that you have not
found me and that you are going
to look for me in Mile. Levasseur's
rooms. Perhaps he will go with
you. All the better if he does.''
And he locked the door again.
The struggle through which he
had just passed did not show itself
on his face and, now that all was
lost, now that he was called upon
to act, he recovered that wonder
full composure which never aban-
doned him at decisive moments.
He went up to Florence. She was
very pale and was silently weep
ing. He said:
"You must not be frightened,
Mademoiselle. If you obey me i'm
plicitly, you will have nothing to
fear"
She did not reply and he saw
that she still mistrusted him. And
he almost rejoiced at the thought
that he would compel her to be-
lieve in him.
Listen to me-" he said to
Sauverand. SIN case l should not
succeed after all, there are still
several things which you must ex-
plain"
"What are theyf" asked Sauve-
rand, who had lost none of his
GOODNESS.
Then, collecting all his riotous
thoughts, resolved to omit moth
ing, but at the same time to speak
only what was essential, Don Luis
asked, in a'calm voice:
"Where were you on the morn
ing before the murder, when a
man carrying an ebony walking
stick and answering to your de-
scription entered the Cafe du
Pont-Neuf Immediately after In
spector Verot?"
cat home"
care you sure that you did not
go out9'
Absolutely sure. And l am
also sure that | have never been
to the Cafe du Pont-Neuf, of
which l had never even heard"
Good. Next question. Why,
when you learned all about this
business, did you not go to the
project of police or the examining
magistrate? 1t would have been
simpler for you to give yourself
up and tell the exact truth than
to engage in this unequal fight"
81 was thinking of doing so.
But | at once realized that the
plot Matched against me was so
clever hat no bare statement of
the truth would have been enough
to convince the authorities. They
would never have believed me.
What proof could | supplyY None
at all = whereac m tho ntbar
hand, the proofs against us were
overwhelming and undeniable.
Were not the marks Of the teeth
evidence Of Marie's undoubted
guilt And were not my silence,
my flight, the shooting of Chief
Inspector Ancenis so many
crimesf No, if l would rescas
Marie, l must remain free,
"But she could have spoken
herself9"