CROSSING PARIS
545
and he was not destined to know. A customer tried to hold the fellow
back. The latter pulled away from
his
grasp. At the same moment,
Grandgil took the man's chin in his great hand, and pushed him
backward with a quick thrust, but without brutality. This forced
the lunatic to retreat several steps and to let himself be merged in a
group of peaceful bystanders, from the shelter of which group he
began to bark:
"I get it! The cops always travel in pairs! I get it!"
Martin loudly denied that he was a policeman, offered to show
his papers, in fact displayed them, and swore that he had been jailed
for insulting an officer. The customers averted their glances, and said
nothing. Martin's protestations drew no reply except the gabbling
of the madman. The most irritating thing was the behavior of the
patrons of the cafe, who were trying by smiles and gestures to
appease Martin. They surrounded both him and his companion with
all
the eager and respectful attentions which are customarily ac–
corded to police inspectors. Meanwhile, Grandgil seemed to be rather
amused than vexed by the suspicion of which he was the object,
and the confident glance of his small piggish eyes as he surveyed
the company was bright with irony. Such monumental calm finally
had the effect of pacifying Martin.
"Well, well," he said, "We might as well laugh about
it.
Let's
go, my lad. On our way to the police station."
He paid for the two aperitifs, his own and that of the man whom
he looked upon as a friend, although he had not yet succeeded in
getting a word out of him. Grandgil permitted him to pay, and fell
into step with
him.
The night was black, with high winds. The whole length of
the distance they covered together as far as the Bastille, Martin took
upon himself almost
all
the burden of the conversation. A queer
sort of day, and
it
had been queer for him from the very start. Even
at breakfast that morning, Mariette had not acted quite as usual.
And at noon....
At long intervals, Grandgil replied to
his
confidences with an
inarticulate nasal sound. Martin finally suspected that he was only
half listening, and he wished to change the subject.
"I'm not the only one to have this sort of trouble. Likely enough
you have troubles of your own?"
