Look!" The murder at the Villa Rose and the mystery which hid its perpetration had aroused interest.

This new development had quickened it.

From the balcony Hanaud could see the groups thickening about the boy and the white sheets of the newspapers in the hands of passers-by.
"Every one in Geneva or near Geneva will know of this message by now." "Who could have told ?" asked Ricardo blankly, and Hanaud laughed in his face, but laughed without any merriment.
"At last!" he cried, as the waiter brought the bill, and just as he had paid it the light of a match flared up under the trees.
"The signal!" said Lemerre.
"Not too quickly," whispered Hanaud.
With as much unconcern as each could counterfeit, the three men descended the stairs and crossed the road.

Under the trees a fourth man joined them--he who had lighted his pipe.
"The coachman, Hippolyte," he whispered, "bought an evening paper at the front door of the house from a boy who came down the street shouting the news.

The coachman ran back into the house." "When was this ?" asked Lemerre.
The man pointed to a lad who leaned against the balustrade above the lake, hot and panting for breath.
"He came on his bicycle.