near three quarters of an hour, that a window on the first
floor was opened, and a lady looked out for a moment, and then drew in
her head again.

"There she is!" cried the man who was watching, "there she is, sir."

"Are you quite certain?" asked the man in black.

"Beyond all possible doubt, sir," replied the other. "Lord bless you, I
know her as well as I know my own mother. I saw her almost every day for
ten years."

"Very well, then," said the man in black, "I will go over first alone,
and as soon as I have got in, you, Monsieur Marlow, with these two
gentlemen, follow me thither. She won't escape me when once I'm in, but
the house may have a back way, and therefore we will not scare her by
too many visitors at this early hour."

He accordingly took his departure, and Marlow and his companions saw him
ring the bell at the opposite house. But the suspicion of those within
fully justified the precautions he had taken. Before he obtained
admission, he was examined very narrowly by a maid-servant from the
window above. It is probable that he was quite conscious of this
scrutiny, but he continued quietly humming an opera air for a minute or
two, and then rang the bell again. The door was then opened. He entered,
and Marlow and his companions ran across, and got in before the door was
shut. The maid gave a little scream at the sudden ingress of so many
men, but the gentleman in black told her to be silent, to which she
replied, "Oh, Monsieur, you have cheated me. You said you wanted
lodgings."

"Very good, my child," replied the man, "but the lodgings which I want
are those of Madame Brown, and you will be good enough to recollect that
I command all persons, in the king's name, now in this house, to remain
in it, and not to go out on any pretence whatever till they have my
permission. Lock that door at the back, and then bring me the key."

The maid, pale and trembling, did as she was commanded, and the French
gentleman then directed the man who had accompanied Marlow to precede
the rest up the stairs, and enter the front room of the first floor. The
others followed close, and as soon as the door of the room was open, it
was evident that the lady of the house had been alarmed by the noise
below; for she stood looking eagerly towards the top of the stairs, with
cheeks very pale indeed. At the same moment that this sight was
presented to them, they heard the man who had gone on exclaim in
English, "Ah, Mistress Ayl