She did as she was bidden, and a great mass of dark hair tumbled nearly to her feet. The matron immediately and with practiced dexterity twisted it up again. Then her shoes, dress, and corsets were removed, until the matron was enabled to tell that nothing could by any possibility be concealed about her.
"It's all right," said the matron. "I'm sorry to trouble you so much, but I have to be very careful."
"You needn't apologize. Now can I go?"
"Yes."
She adjusted her hat and proceeded through the long corridors out into the prison yard, and thence into the old prison where Tulitz was confined. The guard who had sent her Tulitz's letter led her to his cell, and brought a stool for her to sit upon outside his grated iron door.
"My ravissante Corinne!" cried Tulitz.
She put her fingers through the bars, and he bent to kiss them, coming, as he did so, in contact with two little files of the hardest steel.
"Diable!" he said.
"I had them in my hat. I made them serve as the stems of these lilies."
"Ze woman she make ze wily t'ing. How young and charmante she seem for one so like ze fox! Ah, Corinne, my sweetest lofe—"