Forty seconds after the departure of Wulf the Marquis de Sérac had become ... Madame Ceiron, the concièrge.
Three or four pencil marks and his disguise was complete. It would be impossible for anybody not having seen this transformation to guess that the Marquis de Sérac and old Madame Ceiron were one and the same individual.
After a quick glance into his mirror he rushed across his drawing-room, through the hall, and quickly opened a large Breton wardrobe. Through the centre of this rose a post which he seized and slid down. It was the same contrivance used by firemen to join their engines when a call was sent in. At the foot of the post in Madame Ceiron's apartment were stretched two mattresses to deaden the fall. These were placed in a small storeroom, well hidden from observation. After closing the door behind her, Madame Ceiron rushed to the hall in time to intercept Wulf on his way downstairs.
"You are looking for some one?" she asked.
"No, Madame, I have just come from the Marquis de Sérac's apartment."
After Wulf had disappeared Madame Ceiron returned to her office and was about to enter when a voice called:
"Here I am, Madame Ceiron. I found your note under my door. Is there anything I can do for you?"
"Ah, it's you, my child. You are very kind to have come, and there is something that you can do for me. I want to know if you will come upstairs to Susy d'Orsel's room with me."
"What on earth for?"
"Well, I'll tell you. It's this way: I am scared to go up there all alone."