Part 51 (1/2)
Francois soon came with the ladder, which he placed in a dark corner of a passage, and, ascending, opened a trapdoor, and urged the party to et up without assistance Le Duc was unwilling to go until the old lady seized hio up,” she said ”You will not be worse off than the rest”
He at length unwillingly obeyed
As soon as Rayner got up, by Francois' directions he shut down the trapdoor There was just light sufficient, through a pane of glass in the roof, to see that the loft extended over a considerable portion of the building Part only was covered with boards, on which, according to the instructions given theed them on no account to move about, lest they should be heard by the people below The planks, however, were not placed very close together, and after they had been there athrough a broadish chink
Putting his face near it, he perceived that the old lady and her daughters had seated the to look as unconcerned as possible
He had not been in this positionthe passage; they entered the roolishmen had been, or still were, in the house
The old lady started to her feet with an exclaned astonishlishmen in my house! Where can they have come from? My character is well known as a true patriot
The enemies of France are my enemies Pray explain yourself an to apologise inwhy he had been sent to look for the Englishmen who, it had been ascertained, were in that part of the country
”Suppose you find them, ould you do with them?” asked Madame La Roche
”No doubt send them to prison They are enemies of France, and it would not be e can catch thee and coeant,” said the old lady ”But that does not excuse you for accusingto eant, however, was evidently persuaded, notwithstanding Madaitives had been at the house, if they were not there still, and he insisted, with due respect to her, that it was his duty to h search
”As you desire it, pray obey your orders,” said Madame La Roche ”My s, and wherever you wish to go You hters fro you”
The sergeant bowed, and said soh which Rayner did not hear, and the old lady, calling Francois, bade hih the house ”And take care that he looks into every corner, under the beds and in thehly satisfied,” she added
”Oui, , Monsieur Sergeant If you do not find these Englishmen of whom you speak, do not blame an to breathe , for the sake especially of Madaeant would be satisfied when they were not found in the house
The ladies went on working and talking as if nothing were happening, though their countenances betrayed their anxiety The gendarh search through the whole of the building when Rayner heard theeant stopped, and asked, in a loud voice, ”What is the object of this ladder, my friend?”
”To reach the roof from the verandah, or to enable the inmates to descend should the house be on fire,” answered Francois, promptly
”The roof everywhere overlaps the verandah,” answered the sergeant, ”and no ladder is necessary to get out of these s to the ground It appears toCoh which I can reach the loft over the rooot, my friend, that part of the house”
”A trapdoor in the ceiling! What a strange thought of yours!” exclaimed Francois ”However, perhaps you will find it, should one exist, that you may be satisfied on that point, and let one of your ue endar at the ceiling in various directions Still Rayner hoped that they would not discover the dark corner, which Francois evidently had no intention to show them
”It eant say ”This ladder is exactly suited to reach it”
At last he entered the roooodness to tell me whereabouts the trapdoor is that leads to the roof?” he asked
”The trapdoor leading to the roof!” repeated Madame La Roche ”It is not likely that an old woman, as I ahters either Surely, Monsieur Sergeant, you are laughing at eant turned away, but presently one of the men exclaimed, ”I have found it! I have found it--here, up in this corner!”
Rayner heard the , the trap was lifted, but he and his co that in the darkness theya few seconds to accustoht hold of Tolish, ”Oh, dear; he's got me!”