ed. For an instant it remained motionless as one of
the stone decorations of the building, then after a long sigh of
disappointment the head disappeared. The brigadier, calm and dignified
as the law he represented, passed through the crowd, without answering
the thousand questions addressed to him, and re-entered the hotel.

"Well?" asked the two gendarmes.

"Well, my boys," said the brigadier, "the brigand must really have
escaped early this morning; but we will send to the Villers-Coterets and
Noyon roads, and search the forest, when we shall catch him, no doubt."
The honorable functionary had scarcely expressed himself thus, in that
intonation which is peculiar to brigadiers of the gendarmerie, when a
loud scream, accompanied by the violent ringing of a bell, resounded
through the court of the hotel. "Ah, what is that?" cried the brigadier.

"Some traveller seems impatient," said the host. "What number was it
that rang?"

"Number 3."

"Run, waiter!" At this moment the screams and ringing were redoubled.
"Ah," said the brigadier, stopping the servant, "the person who is
ringing appears to want something more than a waiter; we will attend
upon him with a gendarme. Who occupies Number 3?"

"The little fellow who arrived last night in a post-chaise with his
sister, and who asked for an apartment with two beds." The bell here
rang for the third time, with another shriek of anguish.

"Follow me, Mr. Commissary!" said the brigadier; "tread in my steps."

"Wait an instant," said the host; "Number 3 has two staircases,--inside
and outside."

"Good," said the brigadier. "I will take charge of the inside one. Are
the carbines loaded?"

"Yes, brigadier."

"Well, you guard the exterior, and if he attempts to fly, fire upon him;
he must be a great criminal, from what the telegraph says."

The brigadier, followed by the commissary, disappeared by the inside
staircase, accompanied by the noise which his assertions respecting
Andrea had excited in the crowd. This is what had happened. Andrea had
very cleverly managed to descend two-thirds of the chimney, but then his
foot slipped, and notwithstanding his endeavors, he came into the room
with more speed and noise than he intended. It would have signified
little had the room been empty, but unfortunately it was occupied. Two
ladies, sleeping in one bed, were awakened by the noise, and fixing
their eyes upon the spot whence the sound proceeded, they saw a man.
One of thes