"Sixteen hours still," he said to himself, "it's more than I want."
He reached the premises occupied by Isilda, at the end of the old out-buildings. These buildings served as barracks for the two hundred soldiers guarding the ruins; and the whole of this, the left wing, was reserved for the officers.
Isilda was not there. The count sent two of his men to look for her. They came back. No one had seen the girl.
Nevertheless, she could not have left the precincts of the ruins. As for the Renascence palace, it was, so to speak, invested by one-half of the troops; and no one was able to obtain admittance.
At last, the wife of a subaltern who lived in the next house declared that she had been sitting at her window all day and that the girl had not been out.
"If she hadn't gone out," said Waldemar, "she would be here now: and she is not here."
Lupin observed:
"Is there a floor above?"
"Yes, but from this room to the upper floor there is no staircase."