The time has come for me to tell you what has passed between Monsieur Darzac and myself." Here Rouletabille interrupted himself and asked me if I had brought the revolvers.

I showed him them.

Having examined both, he pronounced them excellent, and handed them back to me.
"Shall we have any use for them ?" I asked.
"No doubt; this evening.

We shall pass the night here--if that won't tire you ?" "On the contrary," I said with an expression that made Rouletabille laugh.
"No, no," he said, "this is no time for laughing.

You remember the phrase which was the 'open sesame' of this chateau full of mystery ?" "Yes," I said, "perfectly,--'The presbytery has lost nothing of its charm, nor the garden its brightness.' It was the phrase which you found on the half-burned piece of paper amongst the ashes in the laboratory." "Yes; at the bottom of the paper, where the flame had not reached, was this date: 23rd of October.