“Wish you would go along with Billy and me.”
“Not I. I travel only under orders. I am a soldier. You are still your own master. Now, while you are here, ask nurse to hand you my coat, if there is anything left of it.”
“Ah, thank you, nurse.”
“Feel in the lining back of the breast pocket, Henri. That’s it. Cut the seam, brother. There you are.”
Henri held in his hand a thin roll of paper.
“Open it.”
Henri did as directed and saw that it was a miniature map, lined with red ink.
With their heads together the brothers studied the outlines, Francois explaining that he made this copy from a section of the original parchment.
“Jules has a copy, too,” continued Francois, “but he is in the same boat with me—he can’t quit his post. As I said before, it’s up to you and your friend to get the family treasure out of the château. If you can get near enough, this paper will show you the way to get in and out unseen, even if the house be full of soldiers.”
Henri borrowed needle and thread from the nurse and sewed the paper inside the collar of his blouse.