"Yes; on all fours you could see her heels sticking out beyond the
mattress," said Guerchard simply.

M. Formery shrugged his shoulders: "That screen looked as if it had
stood there since the beginning of the summer," he said.

"The first thing, when you're dealing with Lupin, is to distrust
appearances," said Guerchard.

"Lupin!" cried M. Formery hotly. Then he bit his lip and was silent.

He walked to the side of the couch and looked down on the sleeping
Victoire, frowning: "This upsets everything," he said. "With these
new conditions, I've got to begin all over again, to find a new
explanation of the affair. For the moment--for the moment, I'm
thrown completely off the track. And you, Guerchard?"

"Oh, well," said Guerchard, "I have an idea or two about the matter
still."

"Do you really mean to say that it hasn't thrown you off the track
too?" said M. Formery, with a touch of incredulity in his tone.

"Well, no--not exactly," said Guerchard. "I wasn't on that track,
you see."

"No, of course not--of course not. You were on the track of Lupin,"
said M. Formery; and his contemptuous smile was tinged with malice.