"Not so good, young man; for the Chourineur, having yesterday morning met the Chouette, near St. Ouen, did not leave her for one moment, when the tall gentleman in mourning came up, so that he could not approach and converse with her. You, then, ought to put us in the way of regaining our two thousand francs."
"Nothing easier; but let us 'hark back.' I had proposed a glorious job to the Chourineur, which he at first accepted, but afterwards refused to go on with."
"But whilst he refused he observed to me--"
"Oh, _diable_! You are very grand with your grammar."
"It is my profession, as a schoolmaster."
"He made me, then, observe, that if he would not go on this 'lay,' he did not desire to discourage any other person, and that you would willingly lend a hand in the affair."
"May I, without impertinence, ask why you appointed a meeting with the Chourineur at St. Ouen yesterday, which gave him the advantage of meeting the Chouette? He was too much puzzled at my question to give me a clear answer."
Rodolph bit his lips imperceptibly, and replied, shrugging his shoulders:
"Very likely; for I only told him half my plan, you must know, not knowing if he had made up his mind."
"The more so as I had two strings to my bow."
"You are a careful man. You met the Chourineur, then, at St. Ouen, for--"
Rodolph, after a moment's hesitation, had the good luck to think of a story which would account for the want of address which the Chourineur had displayed, and said:
"Why, this it is. The attempt I propose is a famous one, because the person in question is in the country; all my fear was that he should return to Paris. To make sure, I went to Pierrefitte, where his country-house is situated, and there I learned that he would not be back again until the day after to-morrow."
"Well, but to return to my question; why did you appoint to meet the Chourineur at St. Ouen?"
"Why, you are not so bright as I took you for. How far is it from Pierrefitte to St. Ouen?"
"Well, if I had not found any one at Pierrefitte,--that is, if there had been an empty house there,--why, there also would have been a good job; not so good as in Paris, but still well worth having. I went back to the Chourineur, who was waiting for me at St. Ouen. We should have returned then to Pierrefitte, by a cross-path which I know, and--"