He went up to Corentin and spoke to him in a low voice: "I know these premises well," he said; "I have searched everywhere; unless those young fellows are buried, they are not here.

We have sounded all the floors and walls with the butt end of our muskets." Peyrade, who presently returned, signed to Corentin to come out, and then took him to the breach in the moat and showed him the sunken way.
"We have guessed the trick," said Peyrade.
"And I'll tell you how it was done," added Corentin.

"That little scamp and the girl decoyed those idiots of gendarmes and thus made time for the game to escape." "We can't know the truth till daylight," said Peyrade.

"The road is damp; I have ordered two gendarmes to barricade it top and bottom.

We'll examine it after daylight, and find out by the footsteps who went that way." "I see a hoof-mark," said Corentin; "let us go to the stables." "How many horses do you keep ?" said Peyrade, returning to the salon with Corentin, and addressing Monsieur d'Hauteserre and Goulard.
"Come, monsieur le maire, you know, answer," cried Corentin, seeing that that functionary hesitated.
"Why, there's the countess's mare, Gothard's horse, and Monsieur d'Hauteserre's." "There is only one in the stable," said Peyrade.
"Mademoiselle is out riding," said Durieu.
"Does she often ride about at this time of night ?" said the libertine Peyrade, addressing Monsieur d'Hauteserre.
"Often," said the good man, simply.