Even if I don’t succeed, it’s worthwhile making the attempt!... But I shall succeed – see if I don’t! . . I settled it in my mind that I was to leave the cells after this costermonger: he is in front of me, therefore the cell behind me is empty. It will be devilishly queer if, at Auteuil police station, they don’t put that confounded Jules in it, whom I intend to interview under the nose of the police!... I shall start talking to him by tapping on the partition in prisoner’s language. The fellow is pretty sure to be an old offender, so he will know the system... If he doesn’t, when we get to the Dépôt, I will push up to him somehow and get a few words with him.

If the Dépôt is full, we’ll be stuck into the common cell until morning... So, I take it as certain that my interview with this true and faithful servant will come off, and I shall get to know a good deal about the mystery!

As an afterthought, it occurred to Fandor that probably there had never been such a light-hearted occupant of this cell as he.

Ah, that’s the sound of the trams!... One jolt! Two jolts! Good!... The rails!... We are crossing rue Mozart! We are going faster – in five minutes we shall be at the Auteuil police station, and there we can start our little operation!

There was one thing that attracted Fandor’s attention, which was keenly on the alert. There was a violent jolt, and he had a distinct impression that the vehicle turned to the right.

Why, where the devil are they taking us? Fandor asked himself. To the boulevard Exelmans station? We hadn’t yet reached the end of the rue Mozart, surely!...

Where did we turn then? Rue du Ranelagh? ... No, there is a channel stone at the entrance, and I should have felt it!...  Rue de l’Assomption? Again no. The roadway is up: I should be knocked about more than this on my wooden seat. We are going over a perfectly kept road, which cannot have much traffic!... Why, of course, it is rue du Docteur-Blanche!... Isn’t rue Mozart barred at the end? Yes. The driver must be going round by the boulevard Montmorency... Ah, well! I am in no hurry! There will be time enough for me to pay my respects to the illustrious Jules!

Just as Fandor was thus congratulating himself, he was thrown against the side of his cell. The van seemed to have come into violent collision with some object and had tilted over to a considerable extent.

Muffled oaths came from neighbouring cells; a stifled exclamation reached Fandor’s ears; then louder still, came the intermittent humming and snorting of a motorcar.

“Confound you!... can’t you pay attention to where you are going?... Keep to your right!”

Slightly stunned, Fandor heard someone knocking.