The ground-floor consisted of a number of large reception-rooms, running one into the other and containing the few pieces of furniture that had escaped the fire. On the first floor, on the north side, was a long gallery, out of which twelve handsome rooms opened all exactly alike. There was a similar gallery on the second floor, but with twenty-four smaller rooms, also resembling one another. All these apartments were empty, dilapidated, wretched to look at. Above, there was nothing. The attics had been burnt down. For an hour, Lupin walked, ran, rushed about indefatigably, with his eyes on the look-out. When it began to grow dusk, he hurried to one of his twelve rooms on the first floor, as if he were selecting it for special reasons known to himself alone. He was rather surprised to find the Emperor there, smoking and seated in an arm-chair which he had sent for. Taking no notice of his presence, Lupin began an inspection of the room, according to the methods which he was accustomed to employ in such cases, dividing the room into sections, each of which he examined in turn. After twenty minutes of this work, he said: "I must beg you, Sire, to be good enough to move. There is a fireplace here. . . ." The Emperor tossed his head: "Is it really necessary for me to move?" "Yes, Sire, this fireplace . . ." "The fireplace is just the same as the others and the room is no different from its fellows." Lupin looked at the Emperor without understanding. The Emperor rose and said, with a laugh: "I think, M. Lupin, that you have been making just a little fun of me." "How do you mean, Sire?" "Oh, it's hardly worth mentioning! You obtained your release on the condition of handing me certain papers in which I am interested and you have not the smallest notion as to where they are. I have been thoroughly--what do you call it, in French?--_roulé_ 'done'!" "Do you think so, Sire?" "Why, what a man knows he doesn't have to hunt for! And you have been hunting for ten good hours! Doesn't it strike you as a case for an immediate return to prison?" Lupin seemed thunderstruck: "Did not Your Imperial Majesty fix twelve o'clock to-morrow as the last limit?" "Why wait?" "Why? Well, to allow me to complete my work!" "Your work? But it's not even begun, M. Lupin." "There Your Imperial Majesty is mistaken." "Prove it . . . and I will wait until to-morrow." Lupin reflected and, speaking in a serious tone: