before nobody ...

And, a few steps behind him, M.
Moncharmin did the same thing that he was doing in addition to pushing away M.Remy and begging M.de La Borderie, the ambassador, and the manager of the Credit Central "not to touch M.le Directeur." Moncharmin, who had his own ideas, did not want Richard to come to him presently, when the twenty-thousand francs were gone, and say: "Perhaps it was the ambassador ...

or the manager of the Credit Central ...

or Remy." The more so as, at the time of the first scene, as Richard himself admitted, Richard had met nobody in that part of the theater after Mme.
Giry had brushed up against him...
Having begun by walking backward in order to bow, Richard continued to do so from prudence, until he reached the passage leading to the offices of the management.

In this way, he was constantly watched by Moncharmin from behind and himself kept an eye on any one approaching from the front.