“She has left her footmarks clear enough,” he whispered.  “There will be no doubt in the morning that she went of her own free will.”

Then he took the chauffeur’s seat, and the car glided silently down the drive and out by the gate.  As soon as it was on the road it stopped.  In an instant Adele Rossignol’s head was out of the window.

“What is it?” she exclaimed in fear.

Wethermill pointed to the roof.  He had left the light burning in Helene Vauquier’s room.

“We can’t go back now,” said Adele in a frantic whisper.  “No; it is over.  I daren’t go back.”  And Wethermill jammed down the lever.  The car sprang forward, and humming steadily over the white road devoured the miles.  But they had made their one mistake.

CHAPTER XX

THE GENEVA ROAD

The car had nearly reached Annecy before Celia woke to consciousness.  And even then she was dazed.  She was only aware that she was in the motor-car and travelling at a great speed.  She lay back, drinking in the fresh air.  Then she moved, and with the movement came to her recollection and the sense of pain.  Her arms and wrists were still bound behind her, and the cords hurt her like hot wires.  Her mouth, however, and her feet were free.  She started forward, and Adele Rossignol spoke sternly from the seat opposite.

“Keep still.  I am holding the flask in my hand.  If you scream, if you make a movement to escape, I shall fling the vitriol in your face,” she said.

Celia shrank back, shivering.

“I won’t!  I won’t!” she whispered piteously.  Her spirit was broken by the horrors of the night’s adventure.  She lay back and cried quietly in the darkness of the carriage.  The car dashed through Annecy.  It seemed incredible to Celia that less than six hours ago she had been dining with Mme. Dauvray and the woman opposite, who was now her jailer.  Mme. Dauvray lay dead in the little salon, and she herself—­she dared not think what lay in front of her.  She was to be persuaded—­that was the word—­to tell what she did not know.  Meanwhile her name would be execrated through Aix as the murderess of the woman who had saved her.  Then suddenly the car stopped.  There were lights outside.  Celia heard voices.  A man was speaking to Wethermill.  She started and saw Adele Tace’s arm flash upwards.  She sank back in terror; and the car rolled on into the darkness.  Adele Tace drew a breath of relief.  The one point of danger had been passed.  They had crossed the Pont de la Caille, they were in Switzerland.

Some long while afterwards the car slackened its speed.  By the side of it Celia heard the sound of wheels and of the hooves of a horse.  A single-horsed closed landau had been caught up as it jogged along the road.  The motor-car stopped; close by the side of it the driver of the landau reined in his horse.  Wethermill jumped down from the chauffeur’s seat, opened the door of the landau, and then put his head in at the window of the car.