Then he examined the walls, but not a stone was loose.

As he did so, his eye fell upon the floor, and he noticed that two of the stones that lay about had been raised up by some one and a third laid upon the top.

It looked like child's play, and Monsieur the Viscount kicked it down, and then he saw that underneath it there was a pellet of paper roughly rolled together.

Evidently it was something left by the former occupant of the cell for his successor.

Perhaps he had begun some plan for getting away which he had not had time to perfect on his own account, Perhaps--but by this time the paper was spread out, and Monsieur the Viscount read the writing.