We dismounted in haste. Suddenly Sapt caught me by the arm.
"Look here!" he said, pointing to the ground.
I looked down. At my feet lay five or six silk handkerchiefs, torn and slashed and rent. I turned to him questioningly.
"They're what I tied the old woman up with," said he. "Fasten the horses and come along."
The handle of the door turned without resistance. We passed into the room which had been the scene of last night's bout. It was still strewn with the remnants of our meal and with empty bottles.
"Come in" cried Sapt, whose marvelous composure had at last almost given way.
We rushed down the passage toward the cellars. The door of the coal cellar stood wide open.
"They found the old woman," said I.
"You might have known that from the handkerchiefs," he said.
Then we came opposite the door of the wine cellar. It was shut. It looked in all respects as it had looked when we left it that morning.
