“Come, mademoiselle,” I said, as gently as if she had been a child, “tell me as clearly as you can all that happened after I left you at Von Gaden’s house. Only in this way can you help me to save Zénaïde.” Thus adjured, she tried to collect her thoughts. “I have been through so much, Monsieur Philippe,” she said, pressing her hands over her eyes, “it seems as if I could hardly think. Madame von Gaden was very kind to us, and gave us three rooms opening into each other; and in the corner of the farther one was a curtained alcove. Zénaïde is very quick, and she noticed this at once, and examining it, told me that there must be a secret door there. It was an evil hour when she found it, for she never rests until she finds out all about her surroundings; she worked at it until, in some way, she found the spring and opened it. I was terribly frightened, and did not want to stay, for I began to distrust the Von Gadens, but she laughed; she has such faith in you, Philippe, that she would not believe that you would put us in a dangerous place. And after a while we went to sleep, and were not disturbed. It was not until after breakfast, the next morning, that anything happened; and then, while she and I were talking, we were startled by a tap on the secret door. Zénaïde rose to answer it; she was always fearless, and would not listen to my remonstrance. She went to the panel and asked who was there. Immediately a voice said, ‘A private message from the Vicomte de Brousson to Mademoiselle Ramodanofsky.’ ‘How shall we know that you come from the Vicomte?’ asked Zénaïde, promptly, although I clung to her, and begged to be allowed to call Madame von Gaden. ‘I have M. de Brousson’s signet, mademoiselle,’ replied the voice behind the panel--” “My signet!” I exclaimed, interrupting her. “Yes, Monsieur Philippe,” she replied tearfully, “your signet! And the knave had it, too, for I recognized it myself.” “Fool that I was!” I exclaimed. “It is partly my fault, then, for I ought to have told you that my signet was stolen on the night in which I was dragged here and imprisoned. But go on, mademoiselle; tell me all.”