"Not yet," said Anton, suddenly dropping his French and speaking to
the astonished children in English as good as their own, "I have a
word to say about that same going away. You come out with me for a
bit, my lad."
Joe, still heavy from the drug, and too amazed to refuse, even if he
wished to do so, stumbled to his feet and obeyed.
Cecile and Maurice chatted over the wonderful fact of Anton knowing
English, and waited patiently. There was no Pericard to amuse them to-day;
he had gone out long ago. They waited one hour--two hours--three hours,
still no Joe appeared. At the end of about four hours there was a
languid step on the stairs, and the lad who had gone away--God knows
with how tranquil a heart--reappeared.
Where was his gayety? Where had the light in his dark eyes vanished
to? His hands trembled. Fear was manifest on his face. He came
straight up to Cecile, and clasping her little hands between both his
own, which trembled violently, spoke.
"Oh, Cecile! he's a bad man. He's a bad, bad man, and I am ruined.
We're all ruined, Cecile. Is there any place we can hide in--is there
any place? I must speak to you, and he'll be back in half an hour. I
must speak to you, Cecile, before he comes back."
"Let's run away," said Cecile promptly. "Let's run away at once
before he comes again. There must be lots of hiding places in Paris.
Oh! here's Pericard. Pericard, I know, is faithful. You ask Pericard
to hide us, Joe. To hide us at once before Anton comes back.
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