ent.

It was evident that these were signals among the prisoners.

Gaston went to the window to raise the curtain of green serge which
intercepted the rays of the moon, and in doing so he perceived an object
hanging at the end of a string and swinging before the bars.

"Good," said he; "it appears that I shall have occupation, but each one
in turn; regularity above all things; let us see what the bell wants,
that was the first."

Gaston returned to the chimney, extended his hand, and soon felt a
string, at the end of which a bell was hanging, he pulled, but it
resisted.

"Good," said a voice, which came down the chimney, "you are there?"

"Yes," said Gaston; "what do you want?"

"Parbleu, I want to talk."

"Very well," said the chevalier, "let us talk."

"Are you not M. de Chanlay, with whom I had the pleasure of dining
to-day?"

"Exactly so, monsieur."

"In that case I am at your service."

"And I at yours."

"Then have the goodness to tell me the state of the Bretagne affairs."

"You see they are in the Bastille."

"Good," said a voice, whose joyous tone Gaston could hear with ease.

"Pardon me," said Gaston, "but what interest have you in these affairs?"

"Why, when affairs are bad in Bretagne, they treat us well, and when
they prosper we are treated badly; thus the other day, apropos of some
affair, I do not know what, which they pretended was connected with
ours, we were all put in the dungeon."

"Ah, diable!" said Gaston to himself, "if you do not know, I do." Then
he added, aloud, "Well then, monsieur, be content, they are very bad,
and that is perhaps the reason why we had the pleasure of dining
together to-day."

"Eh, monsieur, are you compromised?"

"I fear so."

"Receive my excuses."

"I beg you, on the contrary, to accept mine, but I have a neighbor below
who is becoming impatient, and who is striking hard enough to break the
boards of my floor; permit me to reply to him."

"Do so, monsieur; if my topographical calculations are correct, it must
be the Marquis de Pompadour."

"It will be difficult to ascertain."

"Not so difficult as you suppose."

"How so?"

"Does he not strike in a peculiar manner?"

"Yes; has it a meaning?"

"Certainly; it is our method of talking without direct communication."

"Have the kindness to give me the key to the vocabulary."

"It is not difficult; every letter has a rank in the alphabet."

"Decidedly."

"There are twenty-four letters.