“Here he is now.”
I turned and saw Robert Darzac; despite the gloom of the place, I saw that his face was ghastly pale. He made me a sign and then said very calmly and quietly:
“Listen, Sainclair! Bernier told you about our little accident. It is not worth mentioning to anyone, unless someone should speak of it to you. The others, perhaps, have not heard the shot. It would be useless to frighten all these good people; don’t you think so? Now I have a little favor to ask of you.”
“Speak, my friend,” I bade him. “Whatever it is, I will do it: you know that without my saying so. Make any use of me that you like.”
“Thanks; but it is only to persuade Rouletabille to go to bed; when he is gone, my wife will calm herself and will try to get the rest that she needs. Every one of us has need of rest—and of calmness, Sainclair. We all need repose—and silence.”
“Surely, my friend; you may count upon me.”
I pressed his hand with a force which attested my sentiments toward him; I was persuaded that both he and Bernier were concealing something from us—something very grave!
Darzac reëntered his room and I went to find Rouletabille in the sitting room of Old Bob.
But upon the threshold of the apartment, I jostled against the Lady in Black and her son who were passing out. They were both so silent and wore an expression so unexpected to me who had overheard their exclamations of love and joy only a few moments before that I stood before them without saying a word or making a movement. The extremity which induced Mme. Darzac to leave Rouletabille so soon under such extraordinary circumstances as those which had attended their reunion, puzzled me so greatly that I could not find words to say what I thought and the submission of Rouletabille in taking leave of her so quickly amazed me. Mathilde pressed a kiss upon the lad’s forehead and murmured: “Good-night, my darling,” in a voice so soft, so sweet and at the same time so solemn that it seemed to me that it must resemble the leave-taking of one who was about to die. Rouletabille, without answering his mother, took my arm and led me out of the tower. He was trembling like a leaf.
It was the Lady in Black herself who closed the door of the Square Tower. I was sure that something strange was passing within those walls. The account of the pistol shot which had been given me satisfied me not at all; and it is not to be doubted that Rouletabille would have agreed with me if his reasoning powers and his heart had not been giddy from the scene which had taken place between the Lady in Black and himself. And then, after all, how did I know that Rouletabille did not agree with me? We had scarcely gotten outside the Square Tower before I demanded of Rouletabille the meaning of his strange manner. I drew him into that corner of the parapet which joins the Square Tower to the Round Tower in the angle formed by the jutting out of the Square Tower upon the court.