my word. All we need is time. Have patience. Be calm!"
His soothing remonstrances at last had their effect. The millionaire grew calm:
"Guerchard?" he said. "Where is Guerchard?"
M. Formery presented Guerchard to him.
"Are you on their track? Have you a clue?" said the millionaire.
"I think," said M. Formery in an impressive tone, "that we may now proceed with the inquiry in the ordinary way."
He was a little piqued by the millionaire's so readily turning from him to the detective. He went to a writing-table, set some sheets of paper before him, and prepared to make notes on the answers to his questions. The Duke came back into the drawing-room; the inspector was summoned. M. Gournay-Martin sat down on a couch with his hands on his knees and gazed gloomily at M. Formery. Germaine, who was sitting on a couch near the door, waiting with an air of resignation for her father to cease his lamentations, rose and moved to a chair nearer the writing-table. Guerchard kept moving restlessly about the room, but noiselessly. At last he came to a standstill, leaning against the wall behind M. Formery.
