Then at once she realized the absurdity of her action, which had not opposed any obstacle to the menace of the enemy. Stéphane, leaping to her side, said:
"Good heavens, what have you done? Why, they saw that I was not moving and they now know that I am not alone!"
"Exactly," she answered, striving to defend herself. "They will try to break down the door, which will give us the time we want."
"The time we want for what?"
"To make our escape."
"Which way?"
"François will call out to us. François will . . ."
She did not complete her sentence. They now heard the sound of footsteps moving swiftly down the passage. There was no doubt about it; the enemy, without troubling about Stéphane, whose flight appeared impossible, was making for the upper floor of cells. Moreover, might he not suppose that the two friends were acting in agreement and that it was the boy who was in Stéphane's cell and who had barred the door?
Véronique therefore had precipitated events and given them a turn which she had so many reasons to dread; and François, up above, would be caught at the very moment when he was preparing to escape.
She was utterly overwhelmed: