I at once posted two guards, one on the road to provide against any
surprise and the other at the park entrance to prevent egress, in case
any fugitive should attempt to pass. Then, with the rest of my men, I
rode through the large gilded iron gates at a trot. In the avenue
which led to the house two men were standing motionless. One of them,
dressed in black and clean-shaven, appeared to be some old servant of
the family, the other must have been one of the gardeners. Their pale
faces and red eyes showed that they had had little sleep that night.

"Well, my friend," said I to one of them, "is there anybody left at
your place?"

"Sir," he answered, "I couldn't tell you; for I have not set foot in
the house since they left it. What I do know is that they feasted all
night and got horribly drunk. They have drunk the whole cellar dry,
and I shouldn't be surprised if some of them are still under the
table."

But when I asked him to come in with me, to act as guide for our
visit, he refused with a look of horror. He trembled all over at the
thought of seeing perchance one of the guests who had been forced upon
him. As there was no time to be lost, I told my men to dismount at
once, and gave orders to one corporal to search the right wing of the
building, to another to reconnoitre the left wing. I myself undertook
to see about the central block with the rest of my troop. We had to
make haste, so I instructed my subordinates to go quickly through the
different rooms and not to inspect them in detail.

The entrance door was wide open. Taking my revolver in my hand, I