hter!--my daughter!' It is
enough to wring all the tears from one's body--that an aide-de-camp of a
general, who himself has killed the youth of Moscow, is allowed to write
such verses and that Natacha should take it upon herself to translate
them into lovely poetic French for her album. It is hard to account for
what they do nowadays, to our misery."

She ceased, for just then they heard the floor creak under a step
downstairs. Rouletabille stopped Matrena short and drew his revolver. He
wished to creep down alone, but he had not time. As the floor creaked
a second time, Matrena's anguished voice called down the staircase
in Russian, "Who is there?" and immediately the calm voice of Natacha
answered something in the same language. Then Matrena, trembling more
and more, and very much excited keeping steadily to the same place as
though she had been nailed to the step of the stairway, said in French,
"Yes, all is well; your father is resting. Good-night, Natacha." They
heard Natacha's step cross the drawing-room and the sitting-room. Then
the door of her chamber closed. Matrena and Rouletabille descended,
holding their breath. They reached the dining-room and Matrena played
her dark-lantern on the sofa where the general always reclined. The sofa
was in its usual place on the carpet. She pushed it back and raised the
carpet, laying the floor bare. Then she got onto her knees and examined
the floor minutely. She rose, wiping the perspiration from her brow, put
the carpet hack in place, adjusted the sofa and dropped upon it with a
great sigh.

"Well?" demanded Rouletabille.

"Nothing at all," said she.

"Why did you call so openly?"

"Because there was no doubt that it could only be my step-daughter on
the ground-floor at that hour."

"And why this anxiety to examine the floor again?"

"I entreat you, my dear little child, do not see in my acts anything
mysterious, anything hard to explain. That anxiety you speak of never
leaves me. Whenever I have the chance I examine the flooring."

"Madame," demanded the young man, "what was your daughter doing in this
room?"

"She came for a glass of mineral water; the bottle is still on the
table."

"Madame, it is necessary that you tell me precisely what Koupriane has
only hinted to me, unless I am entirely mistaken. The first time that
you thought to examine the floor, was it after you heard a noise on the
ground-floor such as has just happened?"

"Yes. I will tell you