Outside the sun shone brightly, and, from its position, we concluded the hour must be nearly noon. Then, all at once we simultaneously caught the sound of footsteps. Some one was coming very softly apparently, along a carpeted passage outside the door. I went across to the sofa, lay down, and pretended to be asleep, Faulkner following my example, lying back in the big chair. At the door the footsteps stopped. There was a pause. Then a key was inserted into the lock almost noiselessly, the lock clicked, the handle turned, and the door was pushed open a little way. Somebody bent over me. I breathed heavily, in pretence of sleep. The footsteps moved away, and, as I parted my eyelids slightly, I saw a woman--quite a young girl. She had her back to me and was bending over Faulkner apparently to ascertain if he too, were asleep. Acting upon a sudden impulse I sprang from the sofa, ran to the door, slammed it, and stood with my back to it. To my surprise the girl looked at me quite calmly. "I knew you would do that m'sieur," she said, and her voice, though she spoke with a marked French accent, was very pleasant. "Did you think that I supposed you both were asleep? Ah, non, your friend here is wide awake, though he too keeps his eyes shut and his mouth open." The girl was quite pretty, about eighteen I judged, refined in appearance, with large, innocent brown eyes, dark eyelashes and eyebrows, and auburn hair that turned to shining gold as the sun's rays, entering at the window, touched it. As she stopped speaking, Faulkner opened his eyes, sat up, and stared at her with undisguised admiration. Then, as the absurdity of the situation struck us, we both laughed. "Whoever you are," I said, trying to speak seriously, though, under the circumstances, and with a pretty girl staring into my face, with an expression in her eyes that was partly of amusement and partly mockery, I found it hard to do so. "Whoever you are, I should really like an explanation." "Explanation of what?" "I want to know why we have been brought here--what place this is, and who had the cool impertinence to lock us in here." "Oh, _I_ had the cool impertinence to lock you in," she answered, smiling. "You! And who are you? And whose house is this?" "This is the Chateau d'Uzerche. It belongs to the Baronne de Coudron. I am the Baronne's niece." "The Chateau d'Uzerche--eh?" I could not for the moment, think of anything else to say. The girl spoke quite naturally, as though nothing unusual had occurred. "I am going to bring your dejeuner in a minute," she said, drawing down the blinds to keep out the sun. "Will you both give me your word you won't leave this room if I leave the door unlocked? Please do--for my sake."