ables?"

"Are on either side of the gate, which you see there." And Andrea
continued his plan.

"Let us see the ground floor," said Caderousse.

"On the ground-floor, dining-room, two drawing-rooms, billiard-room,
staircase in the hall, and a little back staircase."

"Windows?"

"Magnificent windows, so beautiful, so large, that I believe a man of
your size should pass through each frame."

"Why the devil have they any stairs with such windows?"

"Luxury has everything."

"But shutters?"

"Yes, but they are never used. That Count of Monte Cristo is an
original, who loves to look at the sky even at night."

"And where do the servants sleep?"

"Oh, they have a house to themselves. Picture to yourself a pretty
coach-house at the right-hand side where the ladders are kept. Well,
over that coach-house are the servants' rooms, with bells corresponding
with the different apartments."

"Ah, diable--bells did you say?"

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, nothing! I only say they cost a load of money to hang, and what is
the use of them, I should like to know?"

"There used to be a dog let loose in the yard at night, but it has been
taken to the house at Auteuil, to that you went to, you know."

"Yes."

"I was saying to him only yesterday, 'You are imprudent, Monsieur Count;
for when you go to Auteuil and take your servants the house is left
unprotected.' 'Well,' said he, 'what next?' 'Well, next, some day you
will be robbed.'"

"What did he answer?"

"He quietly said, 'What do I care if I am?'"

"Andrea, he has some secretary with a spring."

"How do you know?"

"Yes, which catches the thief in a trap and plays a tune. I was told
there were such at the last exhibition."

"He has simply a mahogany secretary, in which the key is always kept."

"And he is not robbed?"

"No; his servants are all devoted to him."

"There ought to be some money in that secretary?"

"There may be. No one knows what there is."

"And where is it?"

"On the first floor."

"Sketch me the plan of that floor, as you have done of the ground floor,
my boy."

"That is very simple." Andrea took the pen. "On the first story, do you
see, there is the anteroom and the drawing-room; to the right of the
drawing-room, a library and a study; to the left, a bedroom and a
dressing-room. The famous secretary is in the dressing-room."

"Is there a window in the dressing-room?"

"Two,--one here and one there." Andrea sketched two windows