Gurn's place. Are those the ones?" and taking no notice of the visitor
in the room, the man pointed to two large trunks and two small boxes
which were placed in a corner of the room.

"But aren't you three all together?" enquired Mme. Doulenques, visibly
uneasy.

The stranger still remained silent, but the first porter replied at
once.

"No; we have nothing to do with the gentleman. Get on to it, mate! We've
no time to waste!"

Anticipating their action, the concierge got instinctively between the
porters and the luggage: so too did the man in the soft hat.

"Pardon," said he politely but peremptorily. "Please take nothing
away."

One of the porters drew a crumpled and dirty memorandum book from his
pocket and turned over the pages, wetting his thumb every time. He
looked at it attentively and then spoke.

"There's no mistake: this is where we were told to come," and again he
signed to his mate. "Let's get on with it!"

The concierge was puzzled. She looked first at the mysterious stranger,
who was as quiet and silent as ever, and then at the porters, who were
beginning to be irritated by these incomprehensible complications.

Mme. Doulenques' mistrust waxed greater, and she sincerely regretted
being alone on the fifth floor with these strangers, for the other
occupants of this floor had gone off to their daily work long ago.
Suddenly she escaped from the room, and called shrilly down the stairs:

"Madame Aurore! Madame Aurore!"

The man in the soft hat rushed after her, seized her gently but firmly
by the arm, and led her back into the room.

"I beg you, madame, make no noise: do not call out!" he said in a low
tone. "Everything will be all right. I only ask you not to create a
disturbance."

But the concierge was thoroughly alarmed by the really odd behaviour of
all these men, and again screamed at the top of her voice:

"Help! Police!"

The first porter was exasperated.

"It's unfortunate to be taken for thieves," he said with a shrug of his
shoulders. "Look here, Auguste, just run down to the corner of the
street and bring back a gendarme. The gentleman can explain to the
concierge in his presence, and then we shall be at liberty to get on
with our job."

Auguste hastened to obey, and several tense moments passed, during which
not a single word was exchanged between the three people who were left
together.

Then heavy steps were heard, and Auguste reappeared with a gendarme. The
latter came