FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102  
103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   >>   >|  
matter? You are out of breath and as pale as if you had been shadowed by an Agent de la Surete!" "I have not been shadowed, Waldmann," answered the beggar or Bouche-de-Miel, "but I have made a startling discovery." The players at once put down their cards and leaned forward to hear. They were a rough, desperate-looking set; on their ill-omened and sunburnt visages thief could be read as plainly as if it were written there, and perhaps, also, the still more significant word, assassin! Two of the men were Italians, evidently the Peppino and Beppo referred to by the slatternly young woman at the counter in the outer room. Besides Waldmann there was another German. This was Siebecker. Tall, slim, with yellow hair and moustache, he had some claim to good looks; his attire was quite respectable compared to that of the rest; had he not possessed a pair of restless, demoniac eyes, he might have passed for a person of tolerably fair repute, but those glaring, tiger-like orbs betrayed his true character and stamped him as a very dangerous member of the criminal fraternity. Waldmann appeared to be the leader of the coterie. The Italians wore blue blouses, but the distinctive garment of the Parisian workman could not conceal a certain brigandish air that was second nature to them. "Let's hear about your startling discovery, Bouche-de-Miel," said Waldmann. "Take a seat and tell us." The beggar dropped upon a wooden chest, saying, in a tone of deep dejection, as he did so: "Much as I long to take a hand in to-night's little job, I'm afraid you'll have to let me off!" "Stuff!" cried Waldmann. "You are afraid of meeting that terrible fellow, the Count of Monte-Cristo! But the startling discovery--out with it, man!" "Yes; the discovery, the discovery!" demanded the others, impatiently. "Well," said Bouche-de-Miel, "I went to the Rue du Helder this morning, as agreed upon, and made a survey of Monte-Cristo's mansion. Nothing easier than to get in, as no watch is kept at night, and the Count is not in the least suspicious although he has millions of francs in his safe, to say not a word of jewels and other valuables. As I was about leaving the premises, I stopped at a little gate giving access to the garden from the street, having noticed that the key had been carelessly left in the lock on the outside. I was leaning against the gate, taking a wax impression of this key, which would assure us entrance without trouble, w
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102  
103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

discovery

 

Waldmann

 

Bouche

 
startling
 
afraid
 

Cristo

 
Italians
 

beggar

 

shadowed

 

dejection


fellow
 

nature

 

impatiently

 

wooden

 

demanded

 
terrible
 

meeting

 

dropped

 

noticed

 
carelessly

street

 
stopped
 

premises

 

giving

 

access

 

garden

 

leaning

 
entrance
 

assure

 

trouble


taking

 

impression

 

leaving

 

easier

 

Nothing

 

mansion

 

survey

 

Helder

 

morning

 

agreed


jewels

 

valuables

 

francs

 

millions

 

suspicious

 

betrayed

 
assassin
 

evidently

 

Peppino

 

significant