"Why that signal? To whom was it given? And what are they to do?"
An idea little by little took hold of her. She thought of the four children who had remained at the inn, of Saint-Quentin, of Montfaucon. And this idea so tormented her that three parts of the way down the staircase she stopped at the hole which pierced the wall, which she had noticed as they came up. After all what could an old man and a young girl do to help three young men?
"What is it?" stammered the notary. "Can one hear the f-f-f-fight?"
"One can't hear anything," she said bending down.
She squeezed herself into the narrow passage and crawled to the opening. Then, having looked more carefully than she had done in the afternoon, she perceived on her right, on the cornice, a good-sized bundle, thrust down into a crack, screened in front by wild plants. It was a rope-ladder. One of its ends was fastened to a hook driven into the wall.
"Excellent," she said. "It's evident that on occasions d'Estreicher uses this exit. In the event of danger it's an easy way to safety, since this side of the tower is opposite the entrance in the interior."
The way to safety was less easy for Maître Delarue, who began by groaning.
"Never in my life! Get down that way?"
"Nonsense!" she said. "It isn't thirty-five feet—only two stories."
"As well commit suicide."