van?" said Guerchard.

"The van which has just arrived," said Bonavent.

"What! What on earth are you talking about?" cried Guerchard, with a
sudden anxiety in his voice and on his face.

"Didn't you order two prison-vans?" said Bonavent.

Guerchard jumped; and his face went purple with fury and dismay. "You
don't mean to tell me that two prison-vans have been here?" he cried.

"Yes, sir," said Bonavent.

"Damnation!" cried Guerchard. "In which of them did you put Victoire?
In which of them?"

"Why, in the first, sir," said Bonavent.

"Did you see the police in charge of it? The coachman?"

"Yes, sir," said Bonavent.

"Did you recognize them?" said Guerchard.

"No," said Bonavent; "they must have been new men. They told me they
came from the Sante."

"You silly fool!" said Guerchard through his teeth. "A fine lot of
sense you've got."

"Why, what's the matter?" said Bonavent.

"We're done, done in the eye!" roared Guerchard. "It's a stroke--a
stroke--"

"Of Lupin's!" interposed the Duke softly.

"But I don't understand," said Bonavent.

"You don't understand, you idiot!" cried Guerchard. "You've sent
Victoire away in a sham prison-van--a prison-van belonging to Lupin.
Oh, that scoundrel! He always has something up his sleeve."

"He certainly shows foresight," said the Duke. "It was very clever of
him to foresee the arrest of Victoire and provide against it."

"Yes, but where is the leakage? Where is the leakage?" cried Guerchard,
fuming. "How did he learn that the doctor said that she would recover
her wits at ten o'clock? Here I've had a guard at the door all day;
I've imprisoned the household; all the provisions have been received
directly by a man of mine; and here he is, ready to pick up Victoire
the very moment she gives herself away! Where is the leakage?"

He turned on Bonavent, and went on: "It's no use your standing there
with your mouth open, looking like a fool. Go upstairs to the servants'
quarters and search Victoire's room again. That fool of an inspector
may have missed something, just as he missed Victoire herself. Get on!
Be smart!"

Bonavent went off briskly. Guerchard paced up and down the room,
scowling.

"Really, I'm beginning to agree with you, M. Guerchard, that this Lupin
is a remarkable man," said the Duke. "That prison-van is
extraordinarily neat."

"I'll prison-van him!" cried Guerchard. "But what fools I have to work
with. If I could get hold of people of ordina