The
poor fellow was so grateful that he was even better than his word, for,
making use of the password and giving a pretended order from Merindol
to the other two, who were some distance behind him and ignorant of what
had happened, he sent them off post-haste to attend to an imaginary foe
at some distance from the chateau; availing himself of their absence to
make good his escape, after heartily thanking Herode for his clemency.
The moon was just rising, and by its light the tyrant spied the little
row-boat, lying not very far off at the foot of a flight of steps in the
steep bank, and he was not slow to make use of it to cross the moat,
and penetrate into the interior court of the chateau--the postern having
been fortunately left open. Looking about him, to see how he could best
rejoin his comrades within the building, his eyes fell upon the porch
guarded by the two huge, calm sphinxes, and he wisely concluded that
through it must lie his way to the scene of action.
Meantime de Sigognac, Scapin and Lampourde, having a chance to look
about them, were horrified to find that they were prisoners in the room
where the battle had been fought. In vain they tried to burst open the
stout oaken door which was their only means of egress--for the tree had,
but a moment before, given way and fallen with a loud crash into the
moat; in vain they strove to cut through one of the panels, or force the
lock from its fastenings.
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