since early
dawn been watched in such a way that nobody could approach it without
his knowing it, and that he had no concern for those who might have left
it and remained without.

It was then six o'clock by his watch. Rising, he made a sign to me to
follow him, and, without in the least tying to conceal his movements or
the sound of his footsteps, he led me through the gallery. We reached
the 'right' gallery and came to the landing-place which we crossed.
We then continued our way in the gallery of the left wing, passing
Professor Stangerson's apartment.

At the far end of the gallery, before coming to the donjon, is the room
occupied by Arthur Rance. We knew that, because we had seen him at the
window looking on to the court. The door of the room opens on to the end
of the gallery, exactly facing the east window, at the extremity of
the 'right' gallery, where Rouletabille had placed Daddy Jacques, and
commands an uninterrupted view of the gallery from end to end of the
chateau.

"That 'off-turning' gallery," said Rouletabille, "I reserve for myself;
when I tell you you'll come and take your place here."

And he made me enter a little dark, triangular closet built in a bend
of the wall, to the left of the door of Arthur Rance's room. From this
recess I could see all that occurred in the gallery as well as if I had
been standing in front of Arthur Rance's door, and I could watch
that door, too. The door of the closet, which was to be my place
of observation, was fitted with panels of transparent glass. In the
gallery, where all the lamps had been lit, it was quite light. In the
closet, however, it was quite dark. It was a splendid place from which
to observe and remain unobserved.

I was soon to play the part of a spy--a common policeman. I wonder what
my leader at the bar would have said had he known! I was not altogether
pleased with my duties, but I could not refuse Rouletabille the
assistance he had begged me to give him. I took care not to make him
see that I in the least objected, and for several reasons. I wanted to
oblige him; I did not wish him to think me a coward; I was filled
with curiosity; and it was too late for me to draw back, even had
I determined to do so. That I had not had these scruples sooner was
because my curiosity had quite got the better of me. I might also urge
that I was helping to save the life of a woman, and even a lawyer may do
that conscientiously.

We returned along the galler