But her eyes were shining like stars and with some difficulty she turned and crawled back the way she had come.
Only when she reached the dungeon did the excitement of her discovery make her feel weak and she sat for a moment on the floor, propped up against the secret opening, gasping for breath and at the same time saying a prayer of thankfulness that seemed to come spontaneously to her lips,
‘Thank You – God. Thank You – thank You! Now Mama can marry the Comte and there will be no more problems – and no more worries.’
She felt curiously near to tears from the very wonder of it.
Then she started to her feet and, running down the dungeon, she grasped the rope attached to the bell and pealed it again and again.
She was impatient and, when the Marquis did not appear immediately, she th
