'I want to see Mr. Hugo at once. He's down here somewhere,
or he's been here.'
'Yes, Mr. Shawn,' said the patrol politely; 'I did see Mr. Hugo here
about an hour or so ago. I'll ask Mr. Brown. Will you step into the
waiting-room?'
Half-way along the main corridor was a large room, whose steel walls
were masked by tapestries, where renters could examine their treasures
on marble tables. It was empty when Simon went in. The patrol carefully
closed the door on him, and then in a moment came back to say that Mr.
Brown was not in his office, and had probably gone out to lunch, the
hour being noon.
'Where did you see Mr. Hugo?' Simon asked, hurrying out of the room in a
state of considerable agitation.
'I saw him just here, sir,' said the patrol, turning down a short side
corridor--the grille was unfastened--and stopping before a door numbered
thirty-nine. 'He was talking to Mr. Brown, and the door of the vault was
open.'
'That must be Mr. Polycarp's vault,' Simon observed; and then he
started, and put his ear against the door. 'Listen!' he exclaimed to the
patrol. 'Can't you hear anything inside?'
And the patrol also put his ear to the steel face of the door.
'I seem to hear a faint knocking, but it's that faint as you scarcely
_can_ hear it.
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