"Lieutenant de Saint-Avit. It is a fact, sir, that I am very likely to
confuse Arbois of Carthage with Procles de Jubainville. Later, I shall
have to see about filling up those gaps. But just now, I should like
to know where we are, if we are free, and if not, what occult power
holds us. You have the appearance, sir, of being sufficiently at home
in this house to be able to enlighten us upon this point, which I must
confess, I weakly consider of the first importance."
M. Le Mesge looked at me. A rather malevolent smile twitched the
corners of his mouth. He opened his lips....
A gong sounded impatiently.
"In good time, gentlemen, I will tell you. I will explain
everything.... But now you see that we must hurry. It is time for
lunch and our fellow diners will get tired of waiting."
"Our fellow diners?"
"There are two of them," M. Le Mesge explained. "We three constitute
the European personnel of the house, that is, the fixed personnel," he
seemed to feel obliged to add, with his disquieting smile. "Two
strange fellows, gentlemen, with whom, doubtless, you will care to
have as little to do as possible. One is a churchman, narrow-minded,
though a Protestant. The other is a man of the world gone astray, an
old fool."
"Pardon," I said, "but it must have been he whom I heard last night.
He was gambling: with you and the minister, doubtless?"