The coachman who had received the order drove furiously.

She said to herself: "Pierre is in a cab.

Allowing that he is driving moderately quick he will only have half-an-hour's start of me.

He will pass through the office, will see Marechal, and however eager he be, will lose a quarter of an hour in chatting to him.

It would be most vexing if he did anything foolish in the remaining fifteen minutes! The fault is mine: I ought to have sent him a letter at Marseilles, to tell him what line of conduct to adopt on his arrival.