"The entrance has a glass door, two Venetian blinds outside--" "Memorandum," said the ruffian. "Quite correct; it is as precise as if we saw it," said Rodolph. "On the left," resumed the Chouette, "near the courtyard, is a well; the rope may be useful (for at that particular spot there is no trellis against the wall), in case retreat should be cut off in the direction of the door. On entering into the house--" "You got inside the house, then? Young man, she got inside the house!" said the Schoolmaster, with pride. "To be sure I got in! Not finding Cocotte, I had made so much lamentation that I pretended I was quite out of breath; I begged the porter to allow me to sit down on the step of the door, and he very kindly asked me to step in, offering me a glass of wine and water. 'A glass of plain water,' I said; 'plain water only, my good sir.' Then he made me go into the antechamber,--carpeted all over; good precaution,--footsteps or broken glass cannot be heard, if we must 'mill the glaze' (break a pane of glass); right and left, doors with sliding bolts, which open by a gentle push from the top. At the bottom was a strong door, locked,--it looked very like a money-chest. I had my wax in my basket--" "She had her wax, young man! She never goes without her wax!" said the brigand. The Chouette proceeded: "It was necessary to approach the door which smelled so strongly of the cash, so I pretended that I was seized with a fit of coughing,--so violent, that I was compelled to lean against the wall for support. Hearing me cough, the porter said,'I'll fetch you a morsel of sugar to put in your water.' He probably looked for a spoon, for I heard plate chink,--plate in the room on the left-hand; don't forget that, _fourline_. Well, coughing and wheezing, I reached the door at the bottom,--I had my wax in the palm of my hand. I leaned against the lock as though accidentally, and here is the impression; we may not want it to-day, but another time it may be useful." And the Chouette gave the brigand a bit of yellow wax, on which the print of the lock was perfectly impressed. "You can tell us whether this is the door of the money-chest," said the Chouette. "It is, and there is the cash," replied Rodolph; and then said to himself, "Has Murphy, then, been the dupe of this cursed old hag? Perhaps so, and he only expects to be assailed at ten o'clock; by that time every precaution will have been taken." "But all the money is not there," continued the Chouette, and her one green eye sparkled. "As I approached the windows, still searching for my darling Cocotte, I saw in one of the chambers (door on the left) some bags of crown pieces, in a bureau. I saw them as plainly as I see you, my man; there were at least a dozen of them." "Where is Tortillard?" said the Schoolmaster.