“Excellently,” I answered.

He glanced at the watch which he had taken from his waistcoat pocket.

“In twenty minutes,” he announced, “we must be at the Cafe Normandy.”

I raised my eyebrows.

“Indeed!” I said dryly.  “I don’t exactly follow you.”

Louis shrugged his shoulders.

“Monsieur,” he said, “it is no time, this, for the choice of words.  There is a man who lies very near to death up there in the Cafe des Deux Epingles, and it must be decided within the next few hours what is to be done with him.”

“I am not sure that I understand, Louis,” I said, lighting a cigarette.

“You will understand at the Cafe Normandy in half an hour’s time,” Louis answered.  “In the meanwhile, have you a servant?  If not, summon the valet de chambre.  You must dress quickly.  It is important, this.”

“I will dress in ten minutes,” I replied, “but I must shave before I go out.  That will take me another ten.  In the meantime, perhaps you will kindly tell me what it all means?”

“What it all means!” Louis repeated, with upraised hands.  “Is it not clear?  Have you forgotten what happened only a few hours ago?  It rests with one or two people as to whether you shall be given up to the police for what you did last night,—­does monsieur understand that?—­the police!”

“To tell you the truth, Louis,” I answered, “I never dreamed of escaping from them.  It did not seem possible.”

“In which case?” Louis asked slowly.

I pointed to the revolver upon my mantelpiece.

“We all,” I remarked, “make the mistake of overestimating the actual importance of life.”

Louis shivered a little.  I noticed both then and afterwards that he was never comfortable in the presence of firearms.

“A last resource, of course,” I said, “but one should always be prepared!”

“In this city,” Louis said, “it is not as in London.  In London there are no corners which are not swept bare by your police.  In London, by this time you would have been sitting in a prison cell.”

“That,” I remarked, “is doubtless true.  So much the more fortunate for me that I should have met Monsieur Tapilow in Paris and not in London.  But will you tell me, Louis, why you want me to go with you to the Cafe Normandy, and how you think it will help me?”

“It would take too long,” Louis answered.  “We will talk in the carriage, perhaps.  You must not delay now—­not one moment.”

I humored him by hastening my preparations, and we left the place together a few minutes later.  There were many things which I desired to ask him with regard to the events of last night and the place to which he had taken me, but as though by mutual consent neither of us spoke of these things.  When we were already, however, about half way towards the famous restaurant which was our destination I could not keep silence any longer.