make a
simultaneous attempt on the chateau--not that there's much here that I
really value. There's that statuette that moved, and the pane cut out
of the window. I can't leave you two girls with burglars in the house.
After all, there's the sixty horse-power and the thirty horse-power
car--there'll be lots of room for all of us."

"Oh, but it's nonsense, papa; we shall get there before the servants,"
said Germaine pettishly. "Think of arriving at an empty house in the
dead of night."

"Nonsense!" said the millionaire. "Hurry off and get ready. Your bag
ought to be packed. Where are my keys? Sonia, where are my keys--the
keys of the Paris house?"

"They're in the bureau," said Sonia.

"Well, see that I don't go without them. Now hurry up. Firmin, go and
tell Jean that we shall want both cars. I will drive one, the Duke the
other. Jean must stay with you and help guard the chateau."

So saying he bustled out of the hall, driving the two girls before him.

CHAPTER VI

AGAIN THE CHAROLAIS

Hardly had the door closed behind the millionaire when the head of M.
Charolais appeared at one of the windows opening on to the terrace. He
looked round the empty hall, whistled softly, and stepped inside.
Inside of ten seconds his three sons came in through the windows, and
with them came Jean, the millionaire's chauffeur.

"Take the door into the outer hall, Jean," said M. Charolais, in a low
voice. "Bernard, take that door into the drawing-room. Pierre and
Louis, help me go through the drawers. The whole family is going to
Paris, and if we're not quick we shan't get the cars."

"That comes of this silly fondness for warning people of a coup,"
growled Jean, as he hurried to the door of the outer hall. "It would
have been so simple to rob the Paris house without sending that
infernal letter. It was sure to knock them all silly."

"What harm can the letter do, you fool?" said M. Charolais. "It's
Sunday. We want them knocked silly for to-morrow, to get hold of the
coronet. Oh, to get hold of that coronet! It must be in Paris. I've
been ransacking this chateau for hours."

Jean opened the door of the outer hall half an inch, and glued his eyes
to it. Bernard had done the same with the door opening into the
drawing-room. M. Charolais, Pierre, and Louis were opening drawers,
ransacking them, and shutting them with infinite quickness and
noiselessly.

"Bureau! Which is the bureau? The place is stuffed with bureaux!"