第19章

"Because there was no doubt that it could only be my step-daughter on the ground-floor at that hour.""And why this anxiety to examine the floor again?""I entreat you, my dear little child, do not see in my acts anything mysterious, anything hard to explain.That anxiety you speak of never leaves me.Whenever I have the chance I examine the flooring.""Madame," demanded the young man, "what was your daughter doing in this room?""She came for a glass of mineral water; the bottle is still on the table.""Madame, it is necessary that you tell me precisely what Koupriane has only hinted to me, unless I am entirely mistaken.The first time that you thought to examine the floor, was it after you heard a noise on the ground-floor such as has just happened?""Yes.I will tell you all that is necessary.It was the night after the attempt with the bouquet, my dear little monsieur, my dear little domovoi; it seemed to me I heard a noise on the ground-floor.I hurried downstairs and saw nothing suspicious at first.Everything was shut tight.I opened the door of Natacha's chamber softly.I wished to ask her if she had heard anything.

But she was so fast asleep that I had not the heart to awaken her.

I opened the door of the veranda, and all the police - all, you understand - slept soundly.I took another turn around the furniture, and, with my lantern in my hand, I was just going out of the dining-room when I noticed that the carpet on the floor was disarranged at one corner.I got down and my hand struck a great fold of carpet near the general's sofa.You would have said that the sofa had been rolled carelessly, trying to replace it in the position it usually occupied.Prompted by a sinister presentiment, I pushed away the sofa and I lifted the carpet.At first glance Isaw nothing, but when I examined things closer I saw that a strip of wood did not lie well with the others on the floor.With a knife I was able to lift that strip and I found that two nails which had fastened it to the beam below had been freshly pulled out.

It was just so I could raise the end of the board a little without being able to slip my hand under.To lift it any more it would be necessary to pull at least half-a-dozen nails.What could it mean?

Was I on the point of discovering some new terrible and mysterious plan? I let the board fall back into place.I spread the carpet back again carefully, put the sofa in its place, and in the morning sent for Koupriane."Rouletabille interrupted.

"You had not, madame, spoken to anyone of this discovery?"" To no one."

"Not even to your step-daughter?"

"No," said the husky voice of Matrena, "not even to my step-daughter.""Why?" demanded Rouletabille.

"Because," replied Matrena, after a moment's hesitation, "there were already enough frightening things about the house.I would not have spoken to my daughter any more than I would have said a word to the general.Why add to the disquiet they already.suffered so much, in case nothing developed?""And what did Koupriane say?"