But, at the preconcerted signal, the two men climbed through the window and disappeared from view.
Lupin scaled the balcony at a bound and jumped into the pantry. By the sound of their footsteps, he judged that the assailants had gone into the garden; and the sound was so distinct that he felt easy in his mind: Charolais and his son could not fail to hear the noise.
He therefore went upstairs. Mrs. Kesselbach's bedroom was on the first landing. He walked in without knocking.
A night-light was burning in the room; and he saw Dolores, on a sofa, fainting. He ran up to her, lifted her and, in a voice of command, forcing her to answer:
"Listen. . . . Charolais? His son . . . Where are they?"
She stammered:
"Why, what do you mean? . . . They're gone, of course! . . ."
"What, gone?"
"You sent me word . . . an hour ago . . . a telephone-message. . . ."
He picked up a piece of blue paper lying beside her and read: