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           Atsightoftheroom,perfectlyundisturbedexceptforourviolententrance,webegantocoolalittle,andsoonrecoveredoursensessufficientlytodismissthemen.IthadstruckMademoisellethatpossiblyCarmillahadbeenwakenedbytheuproaratherdoor,andinherfirstpanichadjumpedfromherbed,andhidherselfinapress,orbehindacurtain,fromwhichshecouldnot,ofcourse,emergeuntilthemajordomoandhismyrmidonshadwithdrawn.Wenowrecommencedoursearch,andbegantocallhernameagain.

           Itwasalltonopurpose.Ourperplexityandagitationincreased.Weexaminedthewindows,buttheyweresecured.IimploredofCarmilla,ifshehadconcealedherself,toplaythiscrueltricknolonger—tocomeoutandtoendouranxieties.Itwasalluseless.Iwasbythistimeconvincedthatshewasnotintheroom,norinthedressingroom,thedoorofwhichwasstilllockedonthisside.Shecouldnothavepassedit.Iwasutterlypuzzled.HadCarmilladiscoveredoneofthosesecretpassageswhichtheoldhousekeepersaidwereknowntoexistintheschloss,althoughthetraditionoftheirexactsituationhadbeenlost?Alittletimewould,nodoubt,explainall—utterlyperplexedas,forthepresent,wewere.

           Itwaspastfouro’clock,andIpreferredpassingtheremaininghoursofdarknessinMadame’sroom.Daylightbroughtnosolutionofthedifficulty.

           Thewholehousehold,withmyfatheratitshead,wasinastateofagitationnextmorning.Everypartofthechateauwassearched.Thegroundswereexplored.