"It'll be settled all right," he said. "That's just their way of talking, with their hand on the sword-hilt; but I can't believe . . ."
"You're wrong, sir," Rosalie muttered.
He no longer listened, thinking only of the tragedy of his fate and casting about for the best means of obtaining the necessary replies from Jérôme. But he was not able to contain himself any longer and he broached the subject frankly:
"I daresay you know, Jérôme, that madame and I have been to the Comtesse d'Andeville's room."
The statement produced an extraordinary effect upon the keeper and his wife, as though it had been a sacrilege to enter that room so long kept locked, the mistress' room, as they called it among themselves.
"You don't mean that, sir!" Rosalie blurted out.
And Jérôme added:
"No, of course not, for I sent the only key of the padlock, a safety-key it was, to Monsieur le Comte."
"He gave it us yesterday morning," said Paul.
And, without troubling further about their amazement, he proceeded straightaway to put his questions: