Dagobert was about
to open it, when Agricola said to him: "Take care! do not make it creak
on its hinges."

"Shall I push it slowly or suddenly?"

"Let me manage it," said Agricola; and he opened the gate so quickly,
that it creaked very little; still the noise might have been plainly
heard, in the silence of the night, during one of the lulls between the
squalls of wind.

Agricola and his father remained motionless for a moment, listening
uneasily, before they ventured to pass through the gate. Nothing stirred,
however; all remained calm and still. With fresh courage, they entered
the reserved garden.

Hardly had the dog arrived on this spot, when he exhibited tokens of
extraordinary delight. Picking up his ears, wagging his tail, bounding
rather than running, he had soon reached the paling where, in the
morning, Rose Simon had for a moment conversed with Mdlle. de Cardoville.
He stopped an instant at this place, as if at fault, and turned round and
round like a dog seeking the scent.

Dagobert and his son, leaving Spoil-sport to his instinct, followed his
least movements with intense interest, hoping everything from his
intelligence and his attachment to the orphans.

"It was no doubt near this paling that Rose stood when Mother Bunch saw
her," said Dagobert. "Spoil-sport is on her track. Let him alone."

After a few seconds, the dog turned his head towards Dagobert, and
started at full trot in the direction of a door on the ground-floor of a
building, opposite to that occupied by Adrienne. Arrived at this door,
the dog lay down, seemingly waiting for Dagobert.

"No doubt of it! the children are there!" said Dagobert, hastening to
rejoin Spoil-sport; "it was by this door that they took Rose into the
house."

"We must see if the windows are grated," said Agricola, following his
father.

"Well, old fellow!" whispered the soldier, as he came up to the dog and
pointed to the building, "are Rose and Blanche there?"

The dog lifted his head, and answered by a joyful bark. Dagobert had just
time to seize the mouth of the animal with his hands.

"He will ruin all!" exclaimed the smith. "They have, perhaps, heard him."

"No," said Dagobert. "But there is no longer any doubt--the children are
here."

At this instant, the iron gate, by which the soldier and his son had
entered the reserved garden, and which they had left open, fell to with a
loud noise.

"They've shut us in," said Agricola, hastily; "and ther