"There used to be a dog let loose in the yard at night; but it has been taken to the house at Auteuil, to that you went to, you know."
"Yes."
"I was saying to him only yesterday, 'You are imprudent, M.le Comte; for when you go to Auteuil, and take your servants, the house is left unprotected.'―'Well,' said he, 'what next?'—'Well, next, some day you will be robbed.'"
"What did he answer?"
"He quietly said, 'What do I care if I am?'"
"Andrea, he has some secrétaire with a spring!"
"How do you know?"
"Yes, which catches the thief in a trap and plays a tune. I was told there was such at the last exhibition."
"He has simply a mahogany secrétaire, in which the key is always kept."
"And he is not robbed?"
"No; his servants are all devoted to him."
"There ought to be some money in that secrétaire?"
"There may be. No one knows what there is."
"And where is it?"
"On the first floor."
"Sketch me the plan of that floor, as you have done of the ground-floor, my boy."
"That is very simple." Andrea took the pen. "On the first story, do you see, there is the anteroom and drawing-room; to the right of the drawing-room, a library and a study; to the left, a bedroom and a dressing-room. The famous secrétaire is in the dressing-room."
"Is there a window in the dressing-room?"
"Two; one here and one there." Andrea sketched two windows in the room, which formed an angle on the plan, and appeared a smaller square added to the long square of the bedroom. Caderousse became thoughtful.
"Does he often go to Auteuil?" added he.
"Two or three times a week. To-morrow, for instance, he is going to spend the day and night there."
"Are you sure of it?"
"He has invited me to dine there."
"There is a life for you!" said Caderousse; "a town-house and a country-house."
"That is what it is to be rich."
"And shall you dine there?"
"Probably."
"When you dine there, do you sleep there?"
