. No one has the keys except me. It is impossible."

I pointed to the carved bedstead.

"See for yourself," said I. "He's just jumped down."

The keeper ran to the bed and peered behind the gorgeous parapet. Then
he let out a scream of agony.

"Ah, it is true. Ten thousand devils! That so beastly a dog should
have soiled Jeanne d'Albret's bed! Observe the nest he has made in her
counterpane. _Mon Dieu!_ it is scandalous. _Monsieur_, you will
answer for this."

"I shall do nothing of the sort," said I. "But, unless you keep your
mouth shut, you will. You shouldn't have let him get in."

I thought the fellow would have choked.

"But it was not I that---- A-a-ah!" he screamed. "See how he
approaches the Queen's screen, to destroy it as he has destroyed her
bed."

"Nonsense," I said shortly. "He's very struck with the furniture.
That's all. Anybody would be. But how the deuce...."

With tears in his eyes the keeper besought me to remove my dog
forthwith.

In the circumstances, it seemed best to comply, so, wishing very much
that Nobby could speak for himself, I tied my handkerchief to his
collar and, with Susan chattering excitedly and clinging to my arm,
followed our gibbering guide to the foot of the great staircase.

"He must have followed him in," cried Susan. "He simply must. I
looked at the chimney, but it's stopped up, and the man says there's no
other door. And you know he unlocked each one as we came to it this
morning."

"But why's he so filthy?" I said. "And how did he fetch up here?
Let's see. He must have come with us as far as Bouzom's. That's only
five minutes from here. Then we forgot all about him and left him
outside. We were there for ages. I suppose he got fed up with waiting
or found a pal or something, and drifted down here. All the same...."
I turned to the custodian and took out a fifty-franc note. "He doesn't
usually pay so much for a room, but, as this isn't a hotel and he had
Jeanne d'Albret's bed...."

The money passed in silence.

I fancy the keeper dared not trust himself to speak.

After all, I was very thankful that Nobby was found.

As we passed out of the gate, a sudden thought came to me, and I turned
back.

"I say," I cried, "when last did you visit that room?"

"The Queen's room, _Monsieur_?"

I nodded.

"Yesterday morning, Monsieur. At nine o'clock."

You could have knocked me down.

I walked towards the car like a man in a dream