looked at him with an air of complete imbecility.
"She is surely somewhere near, in or about the station. She would hardlydesert her mistress now," he said, stupidly, at last.
"At any rate we can soon settle that." The Chief turned to one of hisassistants, both of whom had been standing behind him all the time, andsaid:
"Step out, Galipaud, and see. No, wait. I am nearly as stupid as thissimpleton. Describe this maid."
"Tall and slight, dark-eyed, very black hair. Dressed all in black,plain black bonnet. I cannot remember more."
"Find her, Galipaud--keep your eye on her. We may want her--why, Icannot say, as she seems disconnected with the event, but still sheought to be at hand." Then, turning to the porter, he went on. "Finish,please. You said 9 and 10 was the lady's. Well, 11 and 12?"
"It was vacant all through the run."
"And the last compartment, for four?"
"There were two berths, occupied both by Frenchmen, at least so I judgedthem. They talked French to each other and to me."
"Then now we have them all. Stand aside, please, and I will make thepassengers come in. We will then determine their places and affix theirnames from their own admissions. Call them in, Block, one by one."
CHAPTER III
The questions put by M. Flocon were much the same in every case, andwere limited in this early stage of the inquiry to the one point ofidentity.
The first who entered was a Frenchman. He was a jovial, fat-faced,portly man, who answered to the name of Anatole Lafolay, and whodescribed himself as a traveller in precious stones. The berth he hadoccupied was No. 13 in compartment _f_. His companion in the berth was ayounger man, smaller, slighter, but of much the same stamp. His name wasJules Devaux, and he was a commission agent. His berth had been No. 15in the same compartment, _f_. Both these Frenchmen gave their addresseswith the names of many people to whom they were well known, andestablished at once a reputation for respectability which was greatlyin their favour.
The third to appear was the tall, gray-headed Englishman, who had takena certain lead at the first discovery of the crime. He called himselfGeneral Sir Charles Collingham, an officer of her Majesty's army; andthe clergyman who shared the compartment was his brother, the ReverendSilas Collingham, rector of Theakstone-Lammas, in the county of Norfolk.Their berths were numbered 1 and 4 in _a_.
Before the English General was dismissed, he asked whether he was likelyto be detained.
"For the present, yes," replied M. Flocon, briefly. He did not care tobe asked questions. That, under the circumstances, was his business.
"Because I should like to communicate with the British Embassy."
"You are known there?" asked the detective, not choosing to believe thestory at first. It might be a ruse of some sort.
"I know Lord Dufferin personally; I was with him in India. Also ColonelPapillon, the military attache; we were in the same regiment. If I sentto the Embassy, the latter would, no doubt, come himself."
"How do you propose to send?"
"That is for you to decide. All I wish is that it should be known thatmy brother and I are detained under suspicion, and incriminated."
"Hardly that, Monsieur le General. But it shall be as you wish. We willtelephone from here to the post nearest the Embassy to inform hisExcellency--"
"Certainly, Lord Dufferin, and my friend, Colonel Papillon."
"Of what has occurred. And now, if you will permit me to proceed?"
So the single occupant of the compartment _b_, that adjoining theEnglishmen, was called in. He was an Italian, by name Natale Ripaldi; adark-skinned man, with very black hair and a bristling black moustache.He wore a long dark cloak of the Inverness order, and, with the slouchhat he carried in his hand, and his downcast, secretive look, he had therather conventional aspect of a conspirator.
"If monsieur permits," he volunteered to say after the formalquestioning was over, "I can throw some light on this catastrophe."
"And how so, pray? Did you assist? Were you present? If so, why wait tospeak till now?" said the detective, receiving the advance rathercoldly. It behooved him to be very much on his guard.
"I have had no opportunity till now of addressing any one in authority.You are in authority, I presume?"
"I am the Chief of the Detective Service."
"Then, monsieur, remember, please, that I can give some usefulinformation when called upon. Now, indeed, if you will receive it."
M. Flocon was so anxious to approach the inquiry without prejudice thathe put up his hand.
"We will wait, if you please. When M. le Juge arrives, then, perhaps;at any rate, at a later stage. That will do now, thank you."
The Italian's lip curled with a slight indication of contempt at theFrench detective's methods, but he bowed without speaking, and went out.
Last of all the lady appeared, in a long sealskin travelling cloak, andclosely veiled. She answered M. Flocon's questions in a low, tremulousvoice, as though greatly perturbed.
She was the Contessa di Castagneto, she said, an Englishwoman by birth;but her husband had been an Italian, as the name implied, and theyresided in Rome. He was dead--she had been a widow for two or threeyears, and was on her way now to London.
"That will do, madame, thank you," said the detective, politely, "forthe present at least."
"Why, are we likely to be detained? I trust not." Her voice becameappealing, almost piteous. Her hands, restlessly moving, showed how muchshe was distressed.
"Indeed, Madame la Comtesse, it must be so. I regret it infinitely; butuntil we have gone further into this, have elicited some facts, arrivedat some conclusions--But there, madame, I need not, must not say more."
"Oh, monsieur, I was so anxious to continue my journey. Friends areawaiting me in London. I do hope--I most earnestly beg and entreat youto spare me. I am not very strong; my health is indifferent. Do, sir, beso good as to release me from--"
As she spoke, she raised her veil, and showed what no woman wishes tohide, least of all when seeking the good-will of one of the oppositesex. She had a handsome face--strikingly so. Not even the long journey,the fatigue, the worries and anxieties which had supervened, could robher of her marvellous beauty.
She was a brilliant brunette, dark-skinned; but her complexion was of aclear, pale olive, and as soft, as lustrous as pure ivory. Her greateyes, of a deep velvety brown, were saddened by near tears. She had richred lips, the only colour in her face, and these, habitually slightlyapart, showed pearly-white glistening teeth.
It was difficult to look at this charming woman without being affectedby her beauty. M. Flocon was a Frenchman, gallant and impressionable;yet he steeled his heart. A detective must beware of sentiment, and heseemed to see something insidious in this appeal, which he resented.
"Madame, it is useless," he answered gruffly. "I do not make the law; Ihave only to support it. Every good citizen is bound to that."
"I trust I am a good citizen," said the Countess, with a wan smile, butvery wearily. "Still, I should wish to be let off now. I have sufferedgreatly, terribly, by this horrible catastrophe. My nerves are quiteshattered. It is too cruel. However, I can say no more, except to askthat you will let my maid come to me."
M. Flocon, still obdurate, would not even consent to that.
"I fear, madame, that for the present at least you cannot be allowed tocommunicate with any one, not even with your maid."
"But she is not implicated; she was not in the car. I have not seen hersince--"
"Since?" repeated M. Flocon, after a pause.
"Since last night, at Amberieux, about eight o'clock. She helped me toundress, and saw me to bed. I sent her away then, and said I should notneed her till we reached Paris. But I want her now, indeed I do."
"She did not come to you at Laroche?"
"No. Have I not said so? The porter,"--here she pointed to the man, whostood staring at her from the other side of the table,--"he madedifficulties about her being in the car, saying that she came too often,staye
d too long, that I must pay for her berth, and so on. I did notsee why I should do that; so she stayed away."
"Except from time to time?"
"Precisely."
"And the last time was at Amberieux?"
"As I have told you, and he will tell you the same."
"Thank you, madame, that will do." The Chief rose from his chair,plainly intimating that the interview was at an end.
CHAPTER IV
He had other work to do, and was eager to get at it. So he left Block toshow the Countess back to the waiting-room, and, motioning to the porterthat he might also go, the Chief hastened to the sleeping-car, theexamination of which, too long delayed, claimed his urgent attention.
It is the first duty of a good detective to