Chapter 21

MOUZON. Good-day, my dear fellow--how are you?

PLACAT. Fine. And you? I caught sight of you last night at the Grand Theatre; you were with an extremely charming woman.

MOUZON. Ah, yes--I--er--

PLACAT. I beg your pardon. Tell me now--I wanted to have a word with you about the Etchepare case.

MOUZON. If you are free at the present moment, we are going to hold the examination at once.

PLACAT. That's the trouble--I haven't a minute.

MOUZON. Would you like us to postpone it until to-morrow?

PLACAT. No, no--I have just been speaking to the accused. An uninteresting story. He just keeps on denying--that's all. He agreed to be interrogated without me. [_Laughing_] I won't hide from you that I advised him to persist in his method. Well, then, au revoir. If he wants an advocate later on, let me know--I'll send you one of my secretaries.

MOUZON. Right. Good-bye for the present, then.

_He returns to his desk. The recorder enters, then Etchepare, between two gendarmes._