Revenge! | Page 7

comrades were more
given to big talk than to action. He had not attended the last meeting,
for he more than suspected the police had agents among them; besides,
his friend and leader, Hertzog, had never attended meetings. That was
why the police had had such difficulty in finding him. Hertzog had
been a man of deeds not words. He had said to Dupré once, that a

single determined man who kept his mouth shut, could do more against
society than all the secret associations ever formed, and his own lurid
career had proved the truth of this. But now he was in prison, and it
was the treachery of M. Sonne that had sent him there. As he thought of
this, Dupré cast a glance at the proprietor and gritted his teeth.
The policeman at the back of the hall, feeling lonely perhaps, walked to
the door and nodded to his parading comrade. The other paused for a
moment on his beat, and they spoke to each other. As the policeman
returned to his place, Dupré said to him--
"Have a sip with me."
"Not while on duty," replied the officer with a wink.
"Garçon," said Dupré quietly, "bring me a caraffe of brandy. Fin
champagne."
The garçon placed the little marked decanter on the table with two
glasses. Dupré filled them both. The policeman, with a rapid glance
over his shoulder, tossed one off, and smacked his lips. Dupré slowly
sipped the other while he asked--
"Do you anticipate any trouble here?"
"Not in the least," answered the officer confidently. "Talk, that's all."
"I thought so," said Dupré.
"They had a meeting the other night--a secret meeting;" the policeman
smiled a little as he said this. "They talked a good deal. They are going
to do wonderful things. A man was detailed to carry out this job."
"And have you arrested him?" questioned Dupré
"Oh dear, no. We watch him merely. He is the most frightened man in
the city to-night. We expect him to come and tell us all about it, but we
hope he won't. We know more about it than, he does."

"I dare say; still it must have hurt M. Sonne's business a good deal."
"It has killed it for the present. People are such cowards. But the
Government will make it all right with him out of the secret fund. He
won't lose anything."
"Does he own the whole house, or only the café?"
"The whole house. He lets the upper rooms, but nearly all the tenants
have left. Yet I call it the safest place in the city. They are all poltroons,
the dynamiters, and they are certain to strike at some place not so well
guarded. They are all well known to us, and the moment one is caught
prowling about here he will be arrested. They are too cowardly to risk
their liberty by coming near this place. It's a different thing from
leaving a tin can and fuse in some dark corner when nobody is looking.
Any fool can do that."
"Then you think this would be a good time to take a room here? I am
looking for one in this neighbourhood," said Dupré.
"You couldn't do better than arrange with M. Sonne. You could make a
good bargain with him now, and you would be perfectly safe."
"I am glad that you mentioned it; I will speak to M. Sonne to-night, and
see the rooms to-morrow. Have another sip of brandy?"
"No, thank you, I must be getting back to my place. Just tell M. Sonne,
if you take a room, that I spoke to you about it."
"I will. Good-night."
Dupré paid his bill and tipped the garçon liberally. The proprietor was
glad to hear of any one wanting rooms. It showed the tide was turning,
and an appointment was made for next day.
Dupré kept his appointment, and the concierge showed him over the
house. The back rooms were too dark, the windows being but a few feet
from the opposite wall. The lower front rooms were too noisy. Dupré

said that he liked quiet, being a student. A front room on the third floor,
however, pleased him, and he took it. He well knew the necessity of
being on good terms with the concierge, who would spy on him
anyhow, so he paid just a trifle more than requisite to that functionary,
but not enough to arouse suspicion. Too much is as bad as too little, a
fact that Dupré was well aware of.
He had taken pains to see that his window was directly over the front
door of the café, but now that he was alone and the door locked, he
scrutinised the position more closely. There was an awning over the
front of the