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prudence. Yes, don't gather a mob of promenaders together. Try to arrangethings so that the arrest may pass unperceived--and if you secure aconfession keep it to yourself, don't communicate it to the newspapers.Yes, I particularly recommend that point to you, don't take thenewspapers into your confidence at all--and finally, come and tell meeverything, and observe secrecy, absolute secrecy, with everybody else."Gascogne bowed and would have withdrawn, but Monferrand detained him tosay that not a day passed without his friend Monsieur Lehmann, the PublicProsecutor, receiving letters from Anarchists who threatened to blow himup with his family; in such wise that, although he was by no means acoward, he wished his house to be guarded by plain-clothes officers. Asimilar watch was already kept upon the house where investigatingmagistrate Amadieu resided. And if the latter's life was precious, thatof Public Prosecutor Lehmann was equally so, for he was one of thosepolitical magistrates, one of those shrewd talented Israelites, who maketheir way in very honest fashion by invariably taking the part of theGovernment in office.
Then Gascogne in his turn remarked: "There is also the Barthes affair,Monsieur le Ministre--we are still waiting. Are we to arrest Barthes atthat little house at Neuilly?"
One of those chances which sometimes come to the help of detectives andmake people think the latter to be men of genius had revealed to him thecircumstance that Barthes had found a refuge with Abbe Pierre Froment.Ever since the Anarchist terror had thrown Paris into dismay a warranthad been out against the old man, not for any precise offence, but simplybecause he was a suspicious character and might, therefore, have had someintercourse with the Revolutionists. However, it had been repugnant toGascogne to arrest him at the house of a priest whom the whole districtvenerated as a saint; and the Minister, whom he had consulted on thepoint, had warmly approved of his reserve, since a member of the clergywas in question, and had undertaken to settle the affair himself."No, Monsieur Gascogne," he now replied, "don't move in the matter. Youknow what my feelings are, that we ought to have the priests with us andnot against us--I have had a letter written to Abbe Froment in order thathe may call here this morning, as I shall have no other visitors. I willspeak to him myself, and you may take it that the affair no longerconcerns you."
Then he was about to dismiss him when the usher came back saying that thePresident of the Council was in the ante-room.** The title of President of the Council is given to the Frenchprime minister.--Trans.
"Barroux!--Ah! dash it, then, Monsieur Gascogne, you had better go outthis way. It is as well that nobody should meet you, as I wish you tokeep silent respecting Salvat's arrest. It's fully understood, is it not?
I alone am to know everything; and you will communicate with me heredirect, by the telephone, if any serious incident should arise."The Chief of the Detective Police had scarcely gone off, by way of anadjoining _salon_, when the usher reopened the door communicating withthe ante-room: "Monsieur le President du Conseil."With a nicely adjusted show of deference and cordiality, Monferrand
