"It was Grindot, the famous architect, with whom the town is in treaty for the restoration of the church.

He has just come from Paris, and I met him this morning examining the exterior as I was on my way to Sainte-Adresse." "Oh, an architect, was he?
he puzzled me," said Modeste, for whom Butscha had thus gained time to recover herself.
Dumay looked askance at Butscha.

Modeste, fully warned, recovered her impenetrable composure.

Dumay's distrust was now thoroughly aroused, and he resolved to go the mayor's office early in the morning and ascertain if the architect had really been in Havre the previous day.

Butscha, on the other hand, was equally determined to go to Paris and find out something about Canalis.
Gobenheim came to play whist, and by his presence subdued and compressed all this fermentation of feelings.