Part 35 (1/2)

”Yes ... yes ... that is what I felt,” said Renine, slowly. ”She marks down her victims.... With Hortense dead, she would have known, once she had used up her allowance of sleep, where to find an eighth victim.... But how did she entice the unfortunate women? How did she entice Hortense?”

The car was rus.h.i.+ng along, but not fast enough to please Renine, who rated the chauffeur:

”Push her along, Adolphe, can't you?... We're losing time, my man.”

Suddenly the fear of arriving too late began to torture him. The logic of the insane is subject to sudden changes of mood, to any perilous idea that may enter the mind. The madwoman might easily mistake the date and hasten the catastrophe, like a clock out of order which strikes an hour too soon.

On the other hand, as her sleep was once more disturbed, might she not be tempted to take action without waiting for the appointed moment? Was this not the reason why she had locked herself into her room? Heavens, what agonies her prisoner must be suffering! What shudders of terror at the executioner's least movement!

”Faster, Adolphe, or I'll take the wheel myself! Faster, hang it.”

At last they reached Ville d'Avray. There was a steep, sloping road on the right and walls interrupted by a long railing.

”Drive round the grounds, Adolphe. We mustn't give warning of our presence, must we, M. de Lourtier? Where is the cottage?”

”Just opposite,” said M. de Lourtier-Vaneau.

They got out a little farther on. Renine began to run along a bank at the side of an ill-kept sunken road. It was almost dark. M. de Lourtier said:

”Here, this building standing a little way back.... Look at that window on the ground-floor. It belongs to one of the separate rooms ... and that is obviously how she slips out.”

”But the window seems to be barred.”

”Yes; and that is why no one suspected anything. But she must have found some way to get through.”

The ground-floor was built over deep cellars. Renine quickly clambered up, finding a foothold on a projecting ledge of stone.

Sure enough, one of the bars was missing.

He pressed his face to the window-pane and looked in.

The room was dark inside. Nevertheless he was able to distinguish at the back a woman seated beside another woman, who was lying on a mattress. The woman seated was holding her forehead in her hands and gazing at the woman who was lying down.

”It's she,” whispered M. de Lourtier, who had also climbed the wall. ”The other one is bound.”

Renine took from his pocket a glazier's diamond and cut out one of the panes without making enough noise to arouse the madwoman's attention. He next slid his hand to the window-fastening and turned it softly, while with his left hand he levelled a revolver.

”You're not going to fire, surely!” M. de Lourtier-Vaneau entreated.

”If I must, I shall.”

Renine pushed open the window gently. But there was an obstacle of which he was not aware, a chair which toppled over and fell.

He leapt into the room and threw away his revolver in order to seize the madwoman. But she did not wait for him. She rushed to the door, opened it and fled, with a hoa.r.s.e cry.

M. de Lourtier made as though to run after her.

”What's the use?” said Renine, kneeling down, ”Let's save the victim first.”