The Son of Monte-Cristo, Volume II

by Jules Lermina

  CHAPTER XLI

  ON THE TRAIL

  Half dreaming, Gontram strode through the streets. It was ten o'clockwhen the painter reached the Monte-Cristo palace. To his surprise allwas dark, and hesitatingly Gontram pulled the bell.

  The footman opened it. When asked if the vicomte was at home, he said hehad gone out.

  "Gone out? Will he soon return?" asked Gontram.

  "We do not know."

  "H'm! Can I speak to Madame Caraman?"

  "She is also out."

  "And the Zouave Coucou?"

  "He has gone out, too; and none of them has yet returned."

  Just then a carriage rolled up, and Madame Caraman and Coucou got out,followed by Fanfaro and Anselmo.

  "Ah, here is Monsieur Gontram," cried Madame Caraman, joyfully, as shecaught sight of the painter.

  "That is what I call luck," said Fanfaro. "Monsieur Gontram, allow me tointroduce myself. My name is Fanfaro. I am an honest man, and devoted tothe Count of Monte-Cristo and his son. I fear all is not right with ourfriends."

  "Why not? What has happened?" asked Gontram.

  "You shall soon find out, but first let us go inside."

  With these words Fanfaro preceded the others and entered the vestibule.The footman ran to him and anxiously cried:

  "Monsieur Fanfaro, the vicomte is not at home."

  "I know it."

  Turning to Coucou, he said:

  "Can you remember when the vicomte left the house?"

  "Last night."

  "About what time?"

  "I do not know, I was asleep."

  "And I too," sobbed Madame Caraman.

  "Coucou, please tell the footman to come here."

  The footman came immediately.

  "When did Vicomte Spero leave the house?" asked Fanfaro, turning to theman.

  "I--I--do not know," stammered the footman.

  "You do not know when the vicomte went out?"

  "I--that is--well, the vicomte did leave the house, but he returnedwithin an hour."

  "Then he must be in the house?" they all repeated.

  "I do not know. He has not left it."

  "How do you know?" asked Coucou. "The vicomte might have gone out by wayof the garden."

  "That is not possible," declared the footman. "I locked the gate myselfyesterday while the vicomte was in his study."

  "We must search every nook and corner," said Gontram.

  "We shall do so," said Fanfaro. "Anselmo can remain under MadameCaraman's care, while Coucou can look in the garden and yard, and we inthe house."

  Coucou disappeared, but soon returned, accompanied by Bobichel.

  "I am glad you've come, Bobichel," exclaimed Fanfaro. "We have some finedetective work to do here, and that was always your hobby."

  "What is it?" asked Bobichel.

  Fanfaro told him the whole story in a few words.

  In the meantime Gontram had learned from Mamma Caraman that Jane Zildhad disappeared, and the thought flashed through his mind like lightningthat Signor Fagiano's remark, which Carmen had overheard, related toher. He told Fanfaro about it, and they both resolved to examine Jane'sroom.

  "There must be a third exit," said Fanfaro; "both the vicomte and Janehave disappeared without the footman's knowing anything about it. We canbegin our work now, and may God grant that we find some trail."

  Thereupon Fanfaro, Gontram, and Bobichel went to the room Jane hadoccupied. Gontram walked in advance, and soon all three stood in thebeautifully furnished apartment. Bobichel crawled into every corner, andraised the heavy carpet which covered the floor, to see if there wereany secret stairs. Then he got on top of Fanfaro's shoulders and knockedat the ceiling. But all was in vain. Nothing could be discovered.

  Suddenly Fanfaro's eye rested on a small white spot in the blue,decorated wall. Drawing near to the spot, he saw that a small piece ofwhite silk had been pressed in an almost imperceptible crack.

  "Bobichel, your knife," cried Fanfaro, breathlessly.

  "Master," said Bobichel, modestly, "there is a secret door there, andthey generally have a spring attached to them."

  "You are right," replied Fanfaro, "but how discover the spring?"

  "I think," remarked Gontram, "that the spring is under one of the smallblue buttons with which the wall is decorated. Let us search."

  All three began to finger the numerous buttons, and finally Bobicheluttered a cry of triumph. He had turned a button aside and a little irondoor noiselessly swung itself on its hinges.

  "There is the secret way in which Jane and Spero have disappeared,"cried Gontram; "Jane has, no doubt, been abducted. The piece of whitesatin in the crack must have belonged to the bed-cover, for MadameCaraman told me the cover had disappeared at the same time as the girl.Spero knew of this exit and probably had reasons for leaving the housesecretly. Let us go the same way, and perhaps we may find out where thevicomte is."

  "So be it," cried Fanfaro, "and then, in Heaven's name, forward!"

  Gontram had in the meanwhile sent a note with Coucou to Carmen.

  Each one of the three carried a three-armed bronze lamp, and the lightthey gave forth illuminated the marble steps of a staircase.

  Gontram was the first to reach the top stair. At the same moment ahollow noise was heard, and when the comrades turned around to find outthe cause of it, they saw that the iron door had closed behind them.They tried in vain to open it again. It did not budge.

  "We cannot return," said Fanfaro finally, "therefore forward with God'shelp."