not yet recovered from his
confusion at the sight of these two working hand in hand.

Five minutes brought them to the door of the Hotel du Nord, and Lepine
applied to it a vigorous fist. There was no response, and he pounded
again. At last there came the sound of a window being raised, and a
night-capped head was thrust out from the upper story.

"Who is there?" asked a voice.

"Are you the proprietor?" demanded Lepine.

"Yes, sir."

"Then come down at once."

"But what is wrong, sir?" stammered Brisson, to whose frightened eyes
those three dark figures huddled in his doorway appeared most sinister.
"What is it you require?"

"No matter," said Lepine, sternly. "Come down at once and open the
door."

The window was lowered and some minutes passed. Had the three men at the
door been able to see inside the house, they would have been amused at
what occurred there, could anything have amused them at that moment. As
it was, they merely stamped with impatience and crowded closer to the
door, for the rain was falling more heavily.

Brisson retreated from the window, his fat countenance fallen into
creases of dismay, and plunged back into his bedroom, where his wife,
who had also been awakened by the knocking, was sitting up in bed.

"What is it, Brisson?" she asked.

"There are three men below," gasped Aristide, fumbling for his trousers.
"They command that I descend at once and admit them. There is something
which tells me it is the police--the police at this hour!"

"The police?" and Madame Gabrielle cast a rapid mental glance over their
affairs. "Well, admit them; we have no reason to fear the police."

"There is that little matter of the wine from your nephew which did not
pay the octroi," Brisson reminded her.

"Bah!" retorted Madame, who was by far the stronger spirit; "it cannot
be that! No one could suspect that; besides, even if they did, they
would not come hammering here in the middle of the night. Descend at
once and admit them. Assume a bold front, Brisson! Do not let them
suspect that you have fear! Go at once! Hasten! I will come as soon as I
have found a petticoat."

Thus encouraged, Brisson descended and opened the door, holding a
lighted candle above his head and presenting as bold a front as his
not-too-courageous spirit could muster. The three men crowded past him,
without waiting for an invitation or saying a word, and one of them took
the door from his hand and closed and bolted it. T