He had the news then that Marthe Gobin was on her way." "But you had isolated the house in Geneva.

How could he have the news ?" exclaimed Ricardo, whose brain was whirling.
"I had isolated the house from him, in the sense that he dared not communicate with his accomplices.

That is what you have to remember.

He could not even let them know that they must not communicate with him.
So he received a telegram.

It was carefully worded.