"
"Then I must question the three drivers."
The clerk shrugged his shoulders. "What is the use of doing
that?" he said, disdainfully. "Ah! you don't understand the way
in which we manage our business! The drivers are artful, but the
company isn't a fool. By expending a hundred and fifty thousand
francs on its detective force every year, it knows what each cab
is doing at each hour of the day. I will now look for the reports
sent in respecting these three drivers. One of the three will
give us the desired information."
This time the search was a considerably longer one, and Chupin was
beginning to grow impatient, when the clerk waved a soiled and
crumpled sheet of paper triumphantly in the air, and cried: "What
did I tell you? This is the report concerning the driver of No.
2140. Listen: Friday, at ten minutes past nine, sent to the Rue
d'Ulm---- What do you think of that?"
"It's astonishing! But where can I find this driver?"
"I can't say, just at this moment; he's on duty now. But as he
belongs to this division he will be back sooner or later, so you
had better wait."
"I will wait then; only as I've had no dinner, I'll go out and get
a mouthful to eat. I can promise you that M. Fortunat will send
you back your note cancelled."
Chupin was really very hungry, and so he rushed off to a little
eating-house which he had remarked on his way to the office.
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