she is? Tell us!" cried M. Formery, purple with exasperation.
"But you won't let me get a word out of my mouth," protested Guerchard with aggravating gentleness.
"Well, speak!" cried M. Formery; and he sank gasping on to a chair.
"Ah, well, she's here," said Guerchard.
"Here! How did she get here?" said M. Formery.
"On a mattress," said Guerchard.
M. Formery sat upright, almost beside himself, glaring furiously at Guerchard:
"What do you stand there pulling all our legs for?" he almost howled.
"Look here," said Guerchard.
He walked across the room to the fireplace, pushed the chairs which stood bound together on the hearth-rug to one side of the fireplace, and ran the heavy fire-screen on its casters to the other side of it, revealing to their gaze the wide, old-fashioned fireplace itself. The iron brazier which held the coals had been moved into the corner, and a mattress lay on the floor of the fireplace. On the mattress lay the figure of a big, middle-aged woman, half-dressed. There was a yellow gag in her mouth; and her hands and feet were bound together with blue cords.
