"How much money have you got altogether?"
"Twenty napoleons, and a few francs."
"And they saw all that?"
"I am afraid so. Of course they could not tell how much there was. They saw a number of coins. If they attempt to rob us of it all to-night we shall have nothing to continue our journey to-morrow. And how we can keep it from them I don't know."
Mother's face was white and drawn. Father and Norah would not have recognised her.
"We shall hide it from them," I answered as bravely as I could. I would not let mother see that I was nervous.
The room was bare of everything but just the necessary furniture. A more difficult place to hide anything could not easily be found. Every article of ours would be ransacked, I felt sure. Our handbags would be searched; our clothes ditto. Where on earth could we put that purse?
I was sitting on the bed as I looked round the room. We would, of course, be lying in the bed when they came to search the room, and even our pillows would not be safe from their touch. Stay! What did the bed clothes consist of? A hasty examination disclosed two blankets and a sheet, and under those the mattress. That mattress gave me an idea. I had found a hiding-place.
"Have you scissors and needle and cotton in your bag?" I whispered.
Mother nodded. "I think Norah put my sewing case in."