“They tied us up, and gagged us—the swine!” said Firmin. “And then—they went off in the two cars,” said Jean. “Went off in the two cars?” cried the millionaire, in blank stupefaction. The Duke burst into a shout of laughter. “Well, your dear friend Lupin doesn’t do things by halves,” he cried. “This is the funniest thing I ever heard of.” “Funny!” howled the millionaire. “Funny! Where does the fun come in? What about my pictures and the coronet?” The Duke laughed his laugh out; then changed on the instant to a man of action. “Well, this means a change in our plans,” he said. “I must get to Paris in this car here.” “It’s such a rotten old thing,” said the millionaire. “You’ll never do it.” “Never mind,” said the Duke. “I’ve got to do it somehow. I daresay it’s better than you think. And after all, it’s only a matter of two hundred miles.” He paused, and then said in an anxious tone: “All the same I don’t like leaving you and Germaine in the château. These rogues have probably only taken the cars out of reach just to prevent your getting to Paris. They’ll leave them in some field and come back.” “You’re not going to leave us behind. I wouldn’t spend the night in the château for a million francs. There’s always the train,” said the millionaire. “The train! Twelve hours in the train—with all those changes! You don’t mean that you will actually go to Paris by train?” said the Duke. “I do,” said the millionaire. “Come along—I must go and tell Germaine; there’s no time to waste,” and he hurried off to the château. “Get the lamps lighted, Jean, and make sure that the tank’s full. As for the engine, I must humour it and trust to luck. I’ll get her to Paris somehow,” said the Duke. He went back to the château, and Firmin followed him. When the Duke came into the great hall he found Germaine and her father indulging in recriminations. She was declaring that nothing would induce her to make the journey by train; her father was declaring that she should. He bore down her opposition by the mere force of his magnificent voice. When at last there came a silence, Sonia said quietly: “But is there a train? I know there’s a train at midnight; but is there one before?” “A time-table—where’s a time-table?” said the millionaire. “Now, where did I see a time-table?” said the Duke. “Oh, I know; there’s one in the drawer of that Oriental cabinet.” Crossing to the cabinet, he opened the drawer, took out the time-table, and handed it to M. Gournay-Martin. The millionaire took it and turned over the leaves quickly, ran his eye down a page, and said, “Yes, thank goodness, there is a train. There’s one at a quarter to nine.” “And what good is it to us? How are we to get to the station?” said Germaine. They looked at one another blankly. Firmin, who had followed the Duke into the hall, came to the rescue. “There’s the luggage-cart,” he said. “The luggage-cart!” cried Germaine contemptuously.