"
I drew my revolver from my jacket pocket.
"Cock it!" he said.
I did as he directed.
Then moving towards the door of his room, he opened it with infinite
precaution; it made no sound. We were in the "off-turning" gallery.
Rouletabille made another sign to me which I understood to mean that
I was to take up my post in the dark closet.
When I was some distance from him, he rejoined me and embraced me;
and then I saw him, with the same precaution, return to his room.
Astonished by his embrace, and somewhat disquieted by it, I arrived
at the right gallery without difficulty, crossing the landing-place,
and reaching the dark closet.
Before entering it I examined the curtain-cord of the window and
found that I had only to release it from its fastening with my
fingers for the curtain to fall by its own weight and hide the
square of light from Rouletabille--the signal agreed upon. The
sound of a footstep made me halt before Arthur Rance's door. He
was not yet in bed, then! How was it that, being in the chateau,
he had not dined with Monsieur Stangerson and his daughter? I had
not seen him at table with them, at the moment when we looked in.
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