“It was indeed fortunate, my lord.”
“Was it not?... I ran, I made myself known.”
“ ‘Come up, my lord, come up,’ she cried. ‘Come up quickly—I am sure there is a man in my room.’ ”
“Dear! dear!...” said the bailiff, “you must indeed have felt terribly frightened.”
“Not at all! I thought it was only losing time to stop and ring; I gave my horse to l’Eveillé, I stood up on the saddle, climbed from that to the balcony, and, so that the man who was in the room might not escape, I shut the window. It was just at that moment that Madame Magloire, hearing the sound of your door opening, and overcome by such a succession of painful feelings, fell fainting into my arms.”
“Ah! my lord!” said the Bailiff, “how frightful all this is that you tell me.”
“And be sure, my dear friend, that I have rather softened than added to its terror; anyhow, you will hear what Madame Magloire has to tell you when she comes to....”
“See, my lord, she is beginning to move.”
“That’s right! burn a feather under her nose.”
“A feather?”