"Do you know the Tuileries well?" inquired Eagle.
"No. I have never been in the palace before."
"Nor I, in the state apartments."
We turned from the corridor into a suite in these upper rooms, the gendarme humoring Madame de Ferrier, and making himself one in the crowd around us. De Chaumont and the Marquis de Ferrier gave chase. I saw them following, as well as they could.
"This used to be the queen's dressing-room," said Eagle. We entered the last one in the suite.
"Are you sure?"
"Quite sure."
"This is the room you told me you would like to examine?"
"The very one. I don't believe the Empire has made any changes in it. These painted figures look just as Sophie described them."
Eagle traced lightly with her finger one of the shepherdesses dancing on the panel; and crossed to the opposite side of the room. People who passed the door found nothing to interest them, and turned away, but the gendarme stayed beside us. Eagle glanced at him as if resenting his intrusion, and asked me to bring her a candle and hold it near a mark on the tracery. The gendarme himself, apologetic but firm, stepped to the sconce and took the candle. I do not know how the thing was done, or why the old spring and long unused hinges did not stick, but his back was toward us—she pushed me against the panel and it let me in.