soft and told a mécanicien to give me some air. He was doing this, and I standing by waiting, when I heard a voice that struck me as familiar. I looked up over the top of the tonneau, then ducked down again, for there, six paces away, stood Ivan's chauffeur; the same man who had gone with us the night that Léontine and I entered John's house, and at his elbow, his back turned to me, was Chu-Chu.
The chauffeur was talking. I heard him say:
"We will go by Pontoise, M'sieu. It is less direct, but it saves the time that would be lost in crossing Paris and the road is better. From Pontoise there is a little route to Beauvais which is now in good condition and cuts off a good deal of distance. After Beauvais we stick to the route nationale."
Chu-Chu growled something that I did not hear, but there was no need. Pontoise, Beauvais, and after that the route nationale. It was plain enough. Chu-Chu was off for Boulogne or Calais.
The car came down that minute on one of the big lifts and the two got aboard, I crouching down and pretending to examine my chain. Out went the other car, which I recognised as Ivan's 16-24 two-seated road-car. Chu-Chu was driving. I looked after it and took the number.
Thought I to myself, "Now what the deuce is he up to? England?" I had never heard of Chu-Chu's having done any work over there. Then it struck me that his errand might have something to do with Léontine. It was possible that he had given the pearls that morning to Léontine, but this idea I put out of my mind. Léontine would know where they came from, and I did not believe that in the face of
