ublic ought to be kept in
ignorance of--ought never to hear of--never!... Those confounded
meddlers complicate our task abominably."

Colonel Hofferman paused: de Loubersac kept a discreet silence.

The two men were walking down the little path which encircles the
principal lawn of the Elysee Gardens, now almost deserted.

The colonel turned to his companion.

"What was that you were saying just now?... You had something fresh to
tell me, and you had not.... That is the Norman way of putting it!...
Not like you, de Loubersac!"

"It is merely the answer of one who hesitates to speak out," replied
de Loubersac, laughing, "... who hesitates to give a definite opinion,
who, nevertheless."...

"Who nevertheless what?... De Loubersac, just forget I am your
colonel--speak out, man!... Have you an idea of where the document was
lost?"

"That?... No."...

"Then what conclusion have you arrived at? Have you further
information about Brocq's death?"

"Hum!"...

"About Nichoune's death, perhaps?"

"Colonel! Have you noticed that for some time past I have not handed
you any report from the agent Vagualame?"

"The deuce.... What do you imagine that means?"

"I do not imagine anything, Colonel--I state facts!... Nichoune is
dead, murdered: there is not a shadow of a doubt about that....
Nichoune was the mistress of Corporal Vinson.... This Vinson was on
the point of playing the traitor, if he had not already done so; he
was also a friend of Captain Brocq, and Brocq died just when the
document disappeared--the document confided to him by our service ...
so much for facts."

The colonel was staring fixedly at de Loubersac.

"I do not see what you are driving at!" said he.

"I am coming to it, Colonel.... Nichoune was found dead on Saturday,
November 19th, but on the evening of November 18th Nichoune received a
visit from our agent, Vagualame, whom I had sent to Chalons by your
own orders to occupy himself with the V. affair."

"Well?"

"Well, Colonel, I do not much like that, but what I like still less
is, that, a few days ago, I had occasion to see Vagualame ... and this
agent far from bringing me details of Nichoune's death, at first go
off wanted to deny that he had been at Chalons! I could swear he was
going to declare he had not been there, when a reply of my own--a
blunder, I confess it--I did not take time to think--informed him that
I knew of his visit to Nichoune."

Colonel Hofferman weighed the gravi