trena extended her large round arms ready to take Rouletabille as
though he had been a baby.

"No, no. I will get up there all right alone," said Rouletabille, rising
stupidly and appearing ashamed of his excessive sleepiness.

"Oh, well, let us both accompany him to his chamber," said Natacha, "and
I will wish papa good-night. I'm eager for bed myself. We will all make
a good night of it. Ermolai and Gniagnia will watch with the schwitzar
in the lodge. Things are reasonably arranged now."

They all ascended the stairs. Rouletabille did not even go to see the
general, but threw himself on his bed. Natacha got onto the bed beside
her father, embraced him a dozen times, and went downstairs again.
Matrena followed behind her, closed doors and windows, went upstairs
again to close the door of the landing-place and found Rouletabille
seated on his bed, his arms crossed, not appearing to have any desire
for sleep at all. His face was so strangely pensive also that the
anxiety of Matrena, who had been able to make nothing out of his acts
and looks all day, came back upon her instantly in greater force than
ever. She touched his arm in order to be sure that he knew she was
there.

"My little friend," she said, "will you tell me now?"

"Yes, madame," he replied at once. "Sit in that chair and listen to
me. There are things you must know at once, because we have reached a
dangerous hour."

"The hat-pins first. The hat-pins!"

Rouletabille rose lightly from the bed and, facing her, but watching
something besides her, said:

"It is necessary you should know that someone almost immediately is
going to renew the attempt of the bouquet."

Matrena sprang to her feet as quickly as though she had been told there
was a bomb in the seat of her chair. She made herself sit down again,
however, in obedience to Rouletabile's urgent look commanding absolute
quiet.

"Renew the attempt of the bouquet!" she murmured in a stifled voice.
"But there is not a flower in the general's chamber."

"Be calm, madame. Understand me and answer me: You heard the tick-tack
from the bouquet while you were in your own chamber?"

"Yes, with the doors open, naturally."

"You told me the persons who came to say good-night to the general. At
that time there was no noise of tick-tack?"

"No, no."

"Do you think that if there had been any tick-tack then you would have
heard it, with all those persons talking in the room?"

"I hear everything. I hea