She shook her head. “Not a sound,” she replied earnestly; “and it seems impossible that any one has discovered that staircase. No one has known of it but the doctor and myself, and the man who built it is dead. He was a faithful German, and returned to his own country and died there more than two years ago.” “Yet it is evident that some one found the stairs,” I retorted a trifle sharply, for I was sorely tried. “Not from without,” she protested; “the fastenings were too secure.” I had noticed this, and it had increased my perplexity. I went now to the windows and looked out; two of them were on the main street, two on the lane, but it was impossible for any one to scale that solid wall and obtain entrance there. I saw that madame’s solution was the most feasible, but nevertheless promptly rejected it; it was impossible that these two women should secretly flee from the protection of the good doctor; at such a time, besides, nothing could result from the flight but certain disaster. Zénaïde’s quick mind would have rejected such a plan as wholly impracticable, and mademoiselle was far too timid to have either proposed or sanctioned it. I was at my wits’ end, and madame was far too obstinate in her opinion to suggest any other solution of the problem, although she assisted me readily enough in making a thorough search of the rooms for any sign or token which might explain the motive or the cause of the strange disappearance. Remembering that Ramodanofsky and Viatscheslav were at the palace when I arrived there, and that I had left them there when I departed, I questioned madame about the hour at which breakfast had been served to her guests, and found that they had eaten it while I was at the Kremlin; therefore their departure had not only been recent, but had not been accomplished by Ramodanofsky or Naryshkin, in person at least. This, while it was perplexing, was also reassuring. I should have been glad of Von Gaden’s presence and counsel; but he had not yet returned, and I could think of no better assistant than Pierrot.