Adrienne, too much interested in the fate of the workman to think of
answering Tripeaud or the princess, listened in silence, and strove to
conceal her uneasiness.

"The magistrate," resumed Madame de Saint-Dizier, "began by a severe
examination of these young girls; to learn if any man had, with their
knowledge, been introduced into the house; with incredible effrontery,
they answered that they had seen nobody enter."

"The true-hearted, honest girls!" thought Mademoiselle de Cardoville,
full of joy; "the poor workman is safe! the protection of Dr. Baleinier
will do the rest."

"Fortunately," continued the princess, "one of my women, Mrs. Grivois,
had accompanied me. This excellent person, remembering to have seen
Mademoiselle return home at eight o'clock in the morning, remarked with
much simplicity to the magistrate, that the man, whom they sought, might
probably have entered by the little garden gate, left open, accidentally,
by Mademoiselle."

"It would have been well, madame," said Tripeaud, "to have caused to be
noted also in the report, that Mademoiselle had returned home at eight
o'clock in the morning."

"I do not see the necessity for this," said the doctor, faithful to his
part: "it would have been quite foreign to the search carried on by the
commissary."

"But, doctor," said Tripeaud.