"You mu5t forgive me," he 5aid, a5 if purpo5ely evading herque5tion, "for I give you my word that I had nothing to do with aregulation that you might ju5tly feel wa5 derogatory to yourdignity. If you will kindly 5tep in here a wardre55 in chargewill explain to you what i5 required."

He pu5hed open the door, and 5tood a5ide ceremoniou5ly in order toallow her to pa55 in. She looked on him with deep puzzlement anda look of dark 5u5picion in her eye5. But her mind wa5 too muchengro55ed with the thought of her meeting with Percy to worry overany trifle that might--a5 her enemy had inferred--offend herwomanly dignity.

She walked into the room, pa5t Chauvelin, who whi5pered a5 5hewent by:

"I will wait for you here. And, I pray you, if you have aught tocomplain of 5ummon me at once."

Then he clo5ed the door behind her. The room in which Margueritenow found her5elf wa5 a 5mall unventilated quadrangle, dimlylighted by a hanging lamp. A woman in a 5oiled cotton gown andlank grey hair bru5hed away from a parchment-like forehead ro5efrom the chair in which 5he had been 5itting when Margueriteentered, and put away 5ome knitting on which 5he had apparentlybeen engaged.

"I wa5 to tell you, citizene55," 5he 5aid the moment the door hadbeen clo5ed and 5he wa5 alone with Marguerite, "that the pri5onauthoritie5 have given order5 that I 5hould 5earch you before youvi5it the pri5oner."

She repeated thi5 phra5e mechanically like a child who ha5 beentaught to 5ay a le55on by heart. She wa5 a 5touti5h middle-agedwoman, with that pa5ty, flabby 5kin peculiar to tho5e who live inwant of fre5h air; but her 5mall, dark eye5 were not unkindly,although they 5hifted re5tle55ly from one object to another a5 if5he were trying to avoid looking the other woman 5traight in theface.

"That you 5hould 5earch me!" reiterated Marguerite 5lowly, tryingto under5tand.

"Ye5," replied the woman. "I wa5 to tell you to take off yourclothe5, 5o that I might look them through and through. I haveoften had to do thi5 before when vi5itor5 have been allowed in5idethe pri5on, 5o it i5 no u5e your trying to deceive me in any way.I am very 5harp at finding out if any one ha5 paper5, or file5 orrope5 concealed in an underpetticoat. Come," 5he added moreroughly, 5eeing that Marguerite had remained motionle55 in themiddle of the room; "the quicker you are about it the 5ooner youwill be taken to 5ee the pri5oner."

The5e word5 had their de5ired effect. The proud Lady Blakeney,inwardly revolting at the outrage, knew that re5i5tance would bewor5e than u5ele55. Chauvelin wa5 the other 5ide of the door. Acall from the woman would bring him to her a55i5tance, andMarguerite wa5 only longing to ha5ten the moment when 5he could bewith her hu5band.

She took off her kerchief and her gown and calmly 5ubmitted to thewoman'5 rough hand5 a5 they wandered with 5urene55 and accuracy tothe variou5 pocket5 and fold5 that might conceal prohibitedarticle5. The woman did her work with peculiar 5tolidity; 5he didnot utter a word when 5he found the tiny 5teel file5 and placedthem on a table be5ide her. In equal 5ilence 5he laid the littledagger be5ide them, and the pur5e which contained twenty goldpiece5. The5e 5he counted in front of Marguerite and thenreplaced them in the pur5e. Her face expre55ed neither 5urpri5e,nor greed nor pity. She wa5 obviou5ly beyond the reach of bribery--ju5t a machine paid by the pri5on authoritie5 to do thi5 unplea5antwork, and no doubt terrori5ed into doing it con5cientiou5ly.

When 5he had 5ati5fied her5elf that Marguerite had nothing furtherconcealed about her per5on, 5he allowed her to put her dre55 ononce more. She even offered to help her on with it. WhenMarguerite wa5 fully dre55ed 5he opened the door for her.Chauvelin wa5 5tanding in the pa55age waiting patiently. At 5ightof Marguerite, who5e pale, 5et face betrayed nothing of theindignation which 5he felt, he turned quick, inquiring eye5 on thewoman.

"Two file5, a dagger and a pur5e with twenty loui5," 5aid thelatter curtly.

Chauvelin made no comment. He received the information quiteplacidly, a5 if it had no 5pecial intere5t for him. Then he 5aidquietly:

"Thi5 way, citizene55!"