第29章

I have thought that all out, and now I am at ease.And anyway, whatever happens, it is necessary to get sleep, isn't it? The chances of war! Nichevo!" He pressed Rouletabille's hand, and Matrena Petrovna took, as was her habit, Feodor Feodorovitch on her back and lugged him to his chamber.In that also she refused aid from anyone.The general clung to his wife's neck during the ascent and laughed like a child.Rouletabille remained in the hallway, watching the garden attentively.Ermolai walked out of the villa and crossed the garden, going to meet a personage in uniform whom the young man recognized immediately as the grand-marshal of the court, who had introduced him to the Tsar.Ermolai informed him that Madame Matrena was engaged in helping her husband retire, and the marshal remained at the end of the garden where he had found Michael and Boris talking in the kiosque.All three remained there for some time in conversation, standing by a table where General and Madame Trebassof sometimes dined when they bad no guests.As they talked the marshal played with a box of white cardboard tied with a pink string.At this moment Matrena, who had not been able to resist the desire to talk for a moment with Rouletabille and tell him how happy she was, rejoined the young man.

"Little domovoi," said she, laying her hand on his shoulder, "you have not watched on this side?"She pointed in her turn to the dining-room.

"No, no.You have seen it, madame, and I am sufficiently informed.""Perfectly.There is nothing.No one has worked there! No one has touched the board.I knew it.I am sure of it.It is dreadful what we have thought about it! Oh, you do not know how relieved and happy I am.Ah, Natacha, Natacha, I have not loved you in vain.

(She pronounced these words in accents of great beauty and tragic sincerity.) When I saw her leave us, my dear, ah, my legs sank under me.When she said, 'I have forgotten something; I must hurry back,' I felt I had not the strength to go a single step.But now I certainly am happy, that weight at least is off my heart, off my heart, dear little domovoi, because of you, because of you."She embraced him, and then ran away, like one possessed, to resume her post near the general.

Notes in Rouletabille's memorandum-book: The affair of the little cavity under the floor not having been touched again proves nothing for or against Natacha (even though that excellent Matrena Petrovna thinks so).Natacha could very well have been warned by the too great care with which Madame Matrena watched the floor.My opinion, since I saw Matrena lift the carpet the first time without any real precaution, is that they have definitely abandoned the preparation of that attack and are trying to account for the secret becoming known.What Matrena feels so sure of is that the trap I laid by the promenade to the Point was against Natacha particularly.Iknew beforehand that Natacha would absent herself during the promenade.I'm not looking for anything new from Natacha, but what I did need was to be sure that Matrena didn't detest Natacha, and that she had not faked the preparations for an attack under the floor in such a way as to throw almost certain suspicion on her step-daughter.I am sure about that now.Matrena is innocent of such a thing, the poor dear soul.If Matrena had been a monster the occasion was too good.Natacha's absence, her solitary presence for a quarter of an hour in the empty villa, all would have urged Matrena, whom I sent alone to search under the carpet in the dining-room, to draw the last nails from the board if she was really guilty of having drawn the others.Natacha would have been lost then! Matrena returned sincerely, tragically happy at not having found anything new, and now I have the material proof that I needed.Morally and physically Matrena is removed from it.

So I am going to speak to her about the hat-pin.I believe that the matter is urgent on that side rather than on the side of the nails in the floor.