f whom he made inquiries, put him on the track again; the Lark and the man had been seen going in the direction of Livry. He followed these hints, walking with great strides, and talking to himself the while:--
"That man is evidently a million dressed in yellow, and I am an animal. First he gave twenty sous, then five francs, then fifty francs, then fifteen hundred francs, all with equal readiness.
He would have given fifteen thousand francs.
But I shall overtake him."
And then, that bundle of clothes prepared beforehand for the child; all that was singular; many mysteries lay concealed under it. One does not let mysteries out of one''s hand when one has once grasped them.
The secrets of the wealthy are sponges of gold; one must know how to subject them to pressure.
All these thoughts whirled through his brain.
"I am an animal," said he.
When one leaves Montfermeil and reaches the turn which the road takes that runs to Livry, it can be seen stretching out before one to a great distance across the plateau.
On arriving there, he calculated that he ought to be able to see the old man and the child.
He looked as far as his vision reached, and saw nothing. He made fresh inquiries, but he had wasted time.
Some passers-by informed him that the man and child of whom he was in search had gone towards the forest in the direction of Gagny.