"The passages are unlocked," she whispered. "Let us go quickly. In half an hour there may be people who arrive."
She led the way up the broad staircase. I hesitated, but Sara thrust her arm through mine.
"We trust you," she said. "You must come with us."
Arrived on the first floor, we traversed what seemed to be an interminable corridor until we came at last to a green baize door which, on being swung open, revealed an inner one, which the Baroness unlocked. Immediately I was conscious that we were in the uninhabited part of the chateau. The Baroness, who was in front, came to a stop and we all paused.
"We make a mistake," she said in a low tone. "There is no place here for strangers."
She inclined her head towards me. The man laughed a little brutally.
"Stranger or not," he replied, "do you think I am going to let him go until this little affair is finished?"
"And after then, what about us?" the Baroness demanded. "Safety, with you, is a matter of an hour or so, but we remain."
"Bah!" was the contemptuous reply. "He will not inform against women. Sara will see to that."
I felt that it was time I had a word to say on my own account.