I glanced at Miss Falconer, whose eyes had been following mine.
"They tore down the tapestries," she said beneath her breath. "They
slashed the old portraits with their swords and broke the windows
and took away the statues and candlesticks and plate. They cut up the
furniture and had it used for fire-wood; and the German captain and his
officers had a feast here and drank to the fall of Paris and ordered
their soldiers to burn the village to the ground. Oh, I don't like
the place any more; too much has happened. And--and I don't like
Marie-Jeanne's not being here, Mr. Bayne. I feel as if there were
something wrong about it. I believe I am a little--just a little
afraid!"
"Come, now, you don't expect me to believe that, do you?" I countered
promptly. "Because I won't. Why, it's your pluck that has kept me up
all day. Just the same, on general principles, I'll take a look round
if you'll allow me. Here's a chair, and if you will rest a minute, I'll
guarantee to find out."
The chair I mentioned was standing near the chimney, and as I spoke I
walked over to it and started to spin it round.
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