“Yes, yes, I hear!” said Richard. “ M. Poligny is a friend of the ghost; and, as Mme. Giry is a friend of M. Poligny, there we are!⁠ ⁠… But I don’t care a hang about M. Poligny,” he added roughly. “The only person whose fate really interests me is Mme. Giry.⁠ ⁠… Mme. Giry, do you know what is in this envelope?”

“Why, of course not,” she said.

“Well, look.”

Mme. Giry looked into the envelope with a lackluster eye, which soon recovered its brilliancy.