CAMOUFLAGE
"Come in and sit down, Monsieur Wulfenmimenglaschk."
The Marquis de Serac led the way into his study.
He was a powerfully built, white-haired man, in the sixties, still
active, with a slightly tired voice, a typical man of the world in his
manners and dress.
Very embarrassed, Wulf bowed and bowed:
"I am confused, Monsieur. Quite confused ... I ..."
"Not at all, Monsieur Wulf; now take off your overcoat, sit down and
smoke a cigar. I assure you it's a great pleasure for me to talk to
anyone coming from Hesse-Weimar. I left the court when I was very young,
and I should be a stranger in Glotzbourg to-day; still I remember my
very good friends there ... but never mind that now, we have more
important subjects to discuss, Monsieur Wulf, and I'm sure you are in a
hurry."
"Oh, not at all; I am only too happy and too proud ..."
"Yes, yes, Paris is a city of temptations, and I won't take too much of
your time. First of all let me explain that I only received your letter
yesterday, as I happened to be out of town. You state that I am in a
position to render you a great service; this I shall be delighted to do
as soon as you tell me what it is."
Wulf began a long and rambling story to the effect that upon leaving
Glotzbourg for Paris, on his special mission to the King, he had
conceived the idea of writing to the Marquis de Serac, whom he knew to
be an intimate friend of the King, to give him a letter of introduction
to His Majesty.
"But now I don't need it," he ended, "for the King is my best friend ...
he received me with charming simplicity, just like an old comrade."
"Alas, my dear Wulf, His Majesty is at present exposed to the most
terrible danger."
"What do you mean?"
"You have doubtless heard of the tragic death of Mlle. Susy d'Orsel, the
King's mistress, which, by a curious coincidence, occurred in this very
house?"
"I know! I know!"
"Well, perhaps you also know that among the King's enemies, some dare to
accuse him of having killed Mlle. Susy d'Orsel?"
"Oh! Such people ought to be cut in pieces."
"Alas, Monsieur Wulf, we are not yet in a position to avenge His
Majesty. You don't happen to know who the real murderer is, do you?"
"No, I haven't the least idea; but if I ever get hold of him, I shall
know what to do!"
The Marquis smiled and shrugged his shoulders:
"I shall be glad to help you."
"Thanks, Monsieur le Marquis, but I'm afraid we shan't succeed. There's
a French detective on the case, a man named Juve, who hasn't been able
to find the man either!"
The Marquis gave a slight start:
"Ah, and Juve has found nothing, suspects nobody?"
"No."
"That is strange.... Well, Monsieur Wulf, I think we shall be able to do
better. You are ready for anything?"
"For everything, on my honor!" replied Wulf, with fervor.
"Very well, then I promise you we shall have some news within a week.
But excuse me a moment, I have some orders to give; I won't be a
moment."
The Marquis crossed the room and opened the door; Wulf could hear him
talking:
"Is that you, Madame Ceiron?"
A woman's voice answered:
"Yes, Monsieur le Marquis. What can I do for you?"
"Kindly unpack the bag in my room and when you go out be sure to lock
the doors. I don't want a recurrence of what happened the other day when
some one entered my apartment and left a chemise belonging to the
murderer among my laundry."
"Monsieur le Marquis may rest assured his orders will be obeyed."
In a few moments the Marquis returned and M. Wulf rose to go. He
repeated with emphasis his determination:
"If ever I get the chance to arrest this murderer, I will do so in the
face of any danger. All for the King! That is my motto!"
"Yes, you are right, Monsieur, all for the King."
The Marquis de Serac bowed his visitor out, and then suddenly his
smiling face underwent an astounding change of expression.
"I must clinch my alibi!"
In a moment he had torn off his false whiskers and his wig of white hair
was quickly replaced by another--this time a woman's wig. With the
agility of a Fregoli he then got into a skirt and waist.
Forty seconds after the departure of Wulf the Marquis de Serac had
become ... Madame Ceiron, the concierge.
Three or four pencil marks and his disguise was complete. It would be
impossible for anybody not having seen this transformation to guess that
the Marquis de Serac and old Madame Ceiron were one and the same
individual.
After a quick glance into his mirror he rushed across his drawing-room,
through the hall, and quickly opened a large Breton wardrobe. Through
the centre of this rose a post which he seized and slid down. It was the
same contrivance used by firemen to join their engines when a call was
sent in. At the foot of the post in Madame Ceiron's apartment were
stretched two mattresses to deaden the fall. These were placed in a
small storeroom, well hidden from observation. After closing the door
behind her, Madame Ceiron rushed to the hall in time to intercept Wulf
on his way downstairs.
"You are looking for some one?" she asked.
"No, Madame, I have just come from the Marquis de Serac's apartment."
After Wulf had disappeared Madame Ceiron returned to her office and was
about to enter when a voice called:
"Here I am, Madame Ceiron. I found your note under my door. Is there
anything I can do for you?"
"Ah, it's you, my child. You are very kind to have come, and there is
something that you can do for me. I want to know if you will come
upstairs to Susy d'Orsel's room with me."
"What on earth for?"
"Well, I'll tell you. It's this way: I am scared to go up there all
alone."
Marie Pascal smiled.
"Of course it is rather appalling, but why do you go there, Madame
Ceiron?"
"Well, you see, the police have put their seals over everything and I am
paid one franc a day to see that nobody enters the apartment and breaks
them. I have to take a look around from time to time, so won't you come
with me?"
"Certainly, Madame Ceiron."
Marie Pascal and the concierge went up together and began a careful
examination of the poor girl's rooms. While the young girl was looking
curiously around Madame Ceiron entered the boudoir. She crossed to the
chimney and pulled out a small casket, which was hidden behind a blue
curtain. She opened it quickly and inspected the contents.
"Jewels! Which would be the best to take? Ah, this ring and this
bracelet ... and these earrings. Now for the key. I'll take that with
me."
"Mam'zelle Marie Pascal!"
"Madame Ceiron?"
"Come along, my dear. I am so frightened, it upsets me to go through
this poor girl's apartment. Just run and see if the outer door is
locked."
While Marie Pascal turned her back and walked toward the door, Madame
Ceiron suddenly pressed against a large box which fell over and spread a
fine coal dust over the carpet.
"It is locked, Madame Ceiron."
"Then come along. I hope to Heaven this business will soon be cleared up
or it will make me ill."
A few moments later Marie Pascal had returned to her own bedroom and the
concierge busied herself by opening in her office a parcel which she had
taken from a cupboard. She was interrupted in her work by the arrival of
a working woman who was engaged to take Madame Ceiron's place when she
had errands to do.
"I am going to leave you alone here to-day, Madame. I have some shopping
to do.... I am going to spend my New Year's gifts, buy a green dress and
a hat with red feathers.... It is my turn to dress up a little."
Shortly afterwards the concierge went out, taking with her the parcel
she had prepared. But instead of going to the shopping district of
Paris, she hurried toward the Bois de Boulogne.
When she had reached a remote part of the wood she entered a small hut.
A few moments later visitors to the Bois noticed the well-known
Ouaouaoua, the Primitive Man, walking down the main pathway. The
enigmatic and dreamy face of this man resembled neither the Marquis de
Serac nor Madame Ceiron and yet ...
The science of camouflage pushed to its extreme limits produces the most
unexpected transformations.