have looked out of the window of my compartment. Itwould be nothing for a man, nor much for a woman if assisted."
"That we will see for ourselves," said the detective, ungraciously.
"The sooner the better," added the Judge, and the whole party rose fromtheir chairs, intending to go straight to the car, when the policeman onguard appeared at the door, followed close by an English militaryofficer in uniform, whom he was trying to keep back, but with no greatsuccess. It was Colonel Papillon of the Embassy.
"Halloa, Jack! you are a good chap," cried the General, quickly goingforward to shake hands. "I was sure you would come."
"Come, sir! Of course I came. I was just going to an official function,as you see, but his Excellency insisted, my horse was at the door, andhere I am."
All this was in English, but the attache turned now to the officials,and, with many apologies for his intrusion, suggested that they shouldallow his friend, the General, to return with him to the Embassy whenthey had done with him.
"Of course we will answer for him. He shall remain at your disposal, andwill appear whenever called upon." He returned to Sir Charles, asking,"You will promise that, sir?"
"Oh, willingly. I had always meant to stay on a bit in Paris. And reallyI should like to see the end of this. But my brother? He must get homefor next Sunday's duty. He has nothing to tell, but he would come backto Paris at any time if his evidence was wanted."
The French Judge very obligingly agreed to all these proposals, and twomore of the detained passengers, making four in all, now left thestation.
Then the officials proceeded to the car, which still remained as theChief Detective had left it.
Here they soon found how just were the General's previsions.
CHAPTER XI
The three officials went straight to where the still open window showedthe particular spot to be examined. The exterior of the car was a littlesmirched and stained with the dust of the journey, lying thick in parts,and in others there were a few great splotches of mud plastered on.
The detective paused for a moment to get a general view, looking, in thelight of the General's suggestion, for either hand or foot marks,anything like a trace of the passage of a feminine skirt, across thedusty surface.
But nothing was to be seen, nothing definite or conclusive at least.Only here and there a few lines and scratches that might be encouraging,but proved little.
Then the Commissary, drawing nearer, called attention to somesuspicious spots sprinkled about the window, but above it towards theroof.
"What is it?" asked the detective, as his colleague with the point ofhis long fore-finger nail picked at the thin crust on the top of one ofthese spots, disclosing a dark, viscous core.
"I could not swear to it, but I believe it is blood."
"Blood! Good Heavens!" cried the detective, as he dragged his powerfulmagnifying glass out of his pocket and applied it to the spot. "Look, M.le Juge," he added, after a long and minute examination. "What say you?"
"It has that appearance. Only medical evidence can positively decide,but I believe it is blood."
"Now we are on the right track, I feel convinced. Some one fetch aladder."
One of these curious French ladders, narrow at the top, splayed out atthe base, was quickly leaned against the car, and the detective ran up,using his magnifier as he climbed.
"There is more here, much more, and something like--yes, beyond questionit is--the print of two hands upon the roof. It was here she climbed."
"No doubt. I can see it now exactly. She would sit on the window ledge,the lower limbs inside the car here and held there. Then with her handsshe would draw herself up to the roof," said the Judge.
"But what nerve! what strength of arm!"
"It was life and death. Within the car was more terrible danger. Fearwill do much in such a case. We all know that. Well! what more?"
By this time the detective had stepped on to the roof of the car.
"More, more, much more! Footprints, as plain as a picture. A woman'sfeet. Wait, let me follow them to the end," said he, cautiously creepingforward to the end of the car.
A minute or two more, and he rejoined his colleagues on the groundlevel, and, rubbing his hands, declared joyously that it was allperfectly clear.
"Dangerous or not, difficult or not, she did it. I have traced her; haveseen where she must have lain crouching ever so long, followed her allalong the top of the car, to the end where she got down above the littleplatform exit. Beyond doubt she left the car when it stopped, and byarrangement with her confederate."
"The Countess?"
"Who else?"
"And at a point near Paris. The English General said the halt was withintwenty minutes' run of the station."
"Then it is from that point we must commence our search for her. TheItalian has gone on the wrong scent."
"Not necessarily. The maid, we may be sure, will try to communicate withher mistress."
"Still, it would be well to secure her before she can do that," said theJudge. "With all we know now, a sharp interrogation might extract somevery damaging admissions from her," went on the detective, eagerly. "Whois to go? I have sent away both my assistants. Of course I can telephonefor another man, or I might go myself."
"No, no, dear colleague, we cannot spare you just yet. Telephone by allmeans. I presume you would wish to be present at the rest of theinterrogatories?"
"Certainly, you are right. We may elicit more about this maid. Let uscall in the porter now. He is said to have had relations with her.Something more may be got out of him."
The more did not amount to much. Groote, the porter, came in, cringingand wretched, in the abject state of a man who has lately been druggedand is now slowly recovering. Although sharply questioned, he hadnothing to add to his first story.
"Speak out," said the Judge, harshly. "Tell us everything plainly andpromptly, or I shall send you straight to gaol. The order is alreadymade out;" and as he spoke, he waved a flimsy bit of paper before him.
"I know nothing," the porter protested, piteously.
"That is false. We are fully informed and no fools. We are certain thatno such catastrophe could have occurred without your knowledge orconnivance."
"Indeed, gentlemen, indeed--"
"You were drinking with this maid at the buffet at Laroche. You had moredrink with her, or from her hands, afterwards in the car."
"No, gentlemen, that is not so. I could not--she was not in the car."
"We know better. You cannot deceive us. You were her accomplice, and theaccomplice of her mistress, also, I have no doubt."
"I declare solemnly that I am quite innocent of all this. I hardlyremember what happened at Laroche or after. I do not deny the drink atthe buffet. It was very nasty, I thought, and could not tell why, norwhy I could not hold my head up when I got back to the car."
"You went off to sleep at once? Is that what you pretend?"
"It must have been so. Yes. Then I know nothing more, not till I wasaroused."
And beyond this, a tale to which he stuck with undeviating persistence,they could elicit nothing.
"He is either too clever for us or an absolute idiot and fool," said theJudge, wearily, at last, when Groote had gone out. "We had better commithim to Mazas and hold him there in solitary confinement under our hands.After a day or two of that he may be less difficult."
"It is quite clear he was drugged, that the maid put opium or laudanuminto his drink at Laroche."
"And enough of it apparently, for he says he went off to sleep directlyhe returned to the car," the Judge remarked.
"He says so. But he must have had a second dose, or why was the vialfound on the ground by his seat?" asked the Chief, thoughtfully, as muchof himself as of the others.
"I cannot believe in a second dose. How was it administered--by whom? Itwas laudanum, and could only be given in a drink. He says he had nosecond drink. And by whom? The maid? He says he did not see the maidagain."
"Pardon me, M. le J
uge, but do you not give too much credibility to theporter? For me, his evidence is tainted, and I hardly believe a word ofit. Did he not tell me at first he had not seen this maid afterAmberieux at 8 P.M.? Now he admits that he was drinking with her at thebuffet at Laroche. It is all a tissue of lies, his losing thepocket-book and his papers too. There is something to conceal. Even hissleepiness, his stupidity, are likely to have been assumed."
"I do not think he is acting; he has not the ability to deceive us likethat."
"Well, then, what if the Countess took him the second drink?"
"Oh! oh! That is the purest conjecture. There is nothing whatever tosuggest or support that."
"Then how explain the finding of the