bers: they have ransacked the drawers and
carried off all she had, were it much or little," remarked Cadet, still
continuing his search.

"But why kill her? Oh, Cadet, why kill the gentle girl, who would have
given every jewel in her possession for the bare asking?"

"Nay, I cannot guess," said Cadet. "It looks like robbers, but the
mystery is beyond my wit to explain. What are you doing, Bigot?"

Bigot had knelt down by the side of Caroline; he lifted her hand first
to his lips, then towards Cadet, to show him the stalk of a rose from
which the flower had been broken, and which she held with a grip so hard
that it could not be loosened from her dead fingers.

The two men looked long and earnestly at it, but failed to make a
conjecture even why the flower had been plucked from that broken stalk
and carried away, for it was not to be seen in the room.

The fragment of a letter lay under a chair. It was a part of that which
La Corriveau had torn up and missed to gather up again with the rest.
Cadet picked it up and thrust it into his pocket.

The blood streaks upon her white robe and the visible stabs of a fine
poniard riveted their attention. That that was the cause of her death
they doubted not, but the mute eloquence of her wounds spoke only to the
heat. It gave no explanation to the intellect. The whole tragedy seemed
wrapped in inexplicable mystery.

"They have covered their track up well!" remarked Cadet. "Hey! but what
have we here?" Bigot started up at the exclamation. The door of the
secret passage stood open. La Corriveau had not closed it after her when
making her escape. "Here is where the assassins have found entrance and
exit! Egad! More people know the secret of your Chateau than you think,
Bigot!"

They sprang forward, and each seizing a lamp, the two men rushed into
the narrow passage. It was dark and still as the catacombs. No trace of
anything to the purpose could they perceive in the vaulted subterranean
way to the turret.

They speedily came to the other end; the secret door there stood open
also. They ascended the stairs in the tower, but could see no trace of
the murderers. "It is useless to search further for them at this time,"
remarked Cadet, "perhaps not safe at any time, but I would give my best
horse to lay hands on the assassins at this moment."

Gardeners' tools lay around the room. "Here," exclaimed Cadet, "is what
is equally germane to the matter, and we have no time to lose."