stioned pretty brutally over and over, but as yet
they have not searched her town house. They are sure that the papers
are in the villa."

"Well, what next?" I asked.

"She says we must get those papers. That is our business."

"It will be difficult," I returned; "and there should be no delay. It
must be done, and done soon. You or I would have found her cache."

"No, I should not; but if those people are still in doubt, as seems to
be the case, and decide that no one but a fool would have burned the
documents, some fellow with a little more imaginative capacity to put
himself in her place will find them.

"By the way," added Merton, "she described the house to me. Now let us
think it over. I shall be here at nine to-morrow morning. When I
return, you will give me your own thoughts about it. Given a house
already watched day and night, how to get a paper out of it? No one
will be allowed to leave it without being overhauled. The old nurse,
you may be sure, will be searched and followed, even when she goes to
market. To communicate with madame would not be easy, and would give
us no further help and only hurt her. It is so grave a matter that the
police, after another search, will arrest Mme. Bellegarde secretly
and, if possible, scare her into confession. We have no time to lose.
It must be done, too, in some simple way. For her sake we must avoid
violence, and whatever is done must be done by us."

"But, Merton, how can we get into the house, even if we enter the
garden unseen?"

"Oh, I forgot to say that she has said she would contrive to tell her
nurse to leave the conservatory unlocked, and also the door between it
and the house. I told you she has been there twice. On each occasion
she was watched, but was allowed to enter and pick flowers. She feels
sure of being able to warn the nurse. We must give her a day. But why
do they not arrest her? That would have been my first move."

I replied: "Her late husband's people are Bonapartists and very
influential. It would have to be explained, and the situation is an
awkward one. The mere destruction of the papers is not what they most
desire; neither do they want the loss known, and very likely they
desire to conceal it as long as possible from the Emperor. I have been
unable to think of any plan. Has the night left you any wiser?"

"I? Yes, indeed. I have a plan--a good one and simple. When I was a
boy and coveted apples, one fellow got over the fence and attra