"Dolor . . . Dolor . . . Mrs. Kesselbach's name is Dolores, I believe? You dear boy! . . . Marco, go and do as I told you. . . . No mistake, mind! I'll repeat it: meet Jérôme at the omnibus office, give him the key, tell him the word: Dolor. Then, the two of you, go to the Crédit Lyonnais. Jérôme is to walk in alone, sign the name-book, go down to the basement and bring away everything in the safe. Do you quite understand?" "Yes, governor. But if the safe shouldn't open; if the word Dolor . . ." "Silence, Marco. When you come out of the Crédit Lyonnais, you must leave Jérôme, go to your own place and telephone the result of the operation to me. Should the word Dolor by any chance fail to open the safe, we (my friend Rudolf Kesselbach and I) will have one . . . _last_ . . . interview. Kesselbach, you're quite sure you're not mistaken?" "Yes." "That means that you rely upon the futility of the search. We shall see. Be off, Marco!" "What about you, governor?" "I shall stay. Oh, I'm not afraid! I've never been in less danger than at this moment. Your orders about the door were positive, Kesselbach, were they not?" "Yes." "Dash it all, you seemed very eager to get that said! Can you have been trying to gain time? If so, I should be caught in a trap like a fool. . . ." He stopped to think, looked at his prisoner and concluded, "No . . . it's not possible . . . we shall not be disturbed . . ." He had not finished speaking, when the door-bell rang. He pressed his hand violently on Rudolf Kesselbach's mouth: "Oh, you old fox, you were expecting some one!" The captive's eyes gleamed with hope. He could be heard chuckling under the hand that stifled him. The stranger shook with rage: "Hold your tongue, or I'll strangle you! Here, Marco, gag him! Quick! . . . That's it!" The bell rang again. He shouted, as though he himself were Kesselbach and as though Edwards were still there: "Why don't you open the door, Edwards?" Then he went softly into the lobby and, pointing to the secretary and the manservant, whispered: "Marco, help me shift these two into the bedroom . . . over there . . . so that they can't be seen." He lifted the secretary. Marco carried the servant. "Good! Now go back to the sitting-room." He followed him in and at once returned to the lobby and said, in a loud tone of astonishment: "Why, your man's not here, Mr. Kesselbach. . . . No, don't move . . . finish your letter. . . . I'll go myself." And he quietly opened the hall-door. "Mr. Kesselbach?" He found himself faced by a sort of jovial, bright-eyed giant, who stood swinging from one foot to the other and twisting the brim of his hat between his fingers. He answered: "Yes, that's right. Who shall I say. . . ?" "Mr. Kesselbach telephoned. . . . He expects me. . . ." "Oh, it's you. . . . I'll tell him. . . . Do you mind waiting a minute? . . . Mr. Kesselbach will speak to you."