I took the key out of the lock and put it in my pocket and went back.

Marie and Croisette were standing a little apart from Madame de Pavannes, who, hanging over her sister, was by turns bathing her face and explaining our presence.
In a very few minutes Madame d'O seemed to recover, and sat up.

The first shock of deadly terror had passed, but she was still pale.

She still trembled, and shrank from meeting our eyes, though I saw her, when our attention was apparently directed elsewhere, glance at one and another of us with a strange intentness, a shuddering curiosity.

No wonder, I thought.