At the front door another soldier was stationed doing sentry duty.

He stood on one side, however, and allowed Granet to ring the bell.
"Officers quartered here ?" Granet inquired.
"Only one, sir," the man replied.
The door was opened almost immediately by a woman-servant.

She did not wait for Granet to announce himself but motioned him to follow her into a large, circular, stone hall, across which she led him quickly and threw open the door of the drawing-room.

Isabel Worth was standing just inside the room, as though listening.

She held out her hand and there was no doubt about her welcome.
"Captain Granet," she said almost in a whisper, "of course you'll think we are all mad, but would you mind coming upstairs into my little sitting-room ?" "Of course not," Granet acquiesced.