is not so certain; he may have changed his appearance. Besides,he does not know the latest developments, and might not be verycordial."
"You might write me a few lines to take to him."
"I think not. We prefer to send Block," replied the Chief, briefly anddecidedly. He did not like this pertinacity, and looked at hiscolleagues as though he sought their concurrence in altering thearrangements for the Italian's mission. It might be wiser to detain himstill.
"It was only to save trouble that I made the suggestion," hastily put inRipaldi. "Naturally I am in your hands. And if I do not meet with themaid at the hotel, I may have to look further, in which caseMonsieur--Block? thank you--would no doubt render valuable assistance."
This speech restored confidence, and a few minutes later the twodetectives, already excellent friends from the freemasonry of a commoncraft, left the station in a closed cab.
CHAPTER IX
"What next?" asked the Judge.
"That pestilent English officer, if you please, M. le Juge," said thedetective. "That fire-eating, swashbuckling soldier, with his blusteringbarrack-room ways. I long to come to close quarters with him. Heridiculed me, taunted me, said I knew nothing--we will see, we willsee."
"In fact, you wish to interrogate him yourself. Very well. Let us havehim in."
When Sir Charles Collingham entered, he included the three officials inone cold, stiff bow, waited a moment, and then, finding he was notoffered a chair, said with studied politeness:
"I presume I may sit down?"
"Pardon. Of course; pray be seated," said the Judge, hastily, andevidently a little ashamed of himself.
"Ah! thanks. Do you object?" went on the General, taking out a silvercigarette-case. "May I offer one?" He handed round the box affably.
"We do not smoke on duty," answered the Chief, rudely. "Nor is smokingpermitted in a court of justice."
"Come, come, I wish to show no disrespect. But I cannot recognize thisas a court of justice, and I think, if you will forgive me, that I shalltake three whiffs. It may help me keep my temper."
He was evidently making game of them. There was no symptom remaining ofthe recent effervescence when he was acting as the Countess's champion,and he was perfectly--nay, insolently calm and self-possessed.
"You call yourself General Collingham?" went on the Chief.
"I do not call myself. I am General Sir Charles Collingham, of theBritish Army."
"Retired?"
"No, I am still on the active list."
"These points will have to be verified."
"With all my heart. You have already sent to the British Embassy?"
"Yes, but no one has come," answered the detective, contemptuously.
"If you disbelieve me, why do you question me?"
"It is our duty to question you, and yours to answer. If not, we havemeans to make you. You are suspected, inculpated in a terrible crime,and your whole attitude is--is--objectionable--unworthy--disgr--"
"Gently, gently, my dear colleague," interposed the Judge. "If you willpermit me, I will take up this. And you, M. le General, I am sure youcannot wish to impede or obstruct us; we represent the law of thiscountry."
"Have I done so, M. le Juge?" answered the General, with the utmostcourtesy, as he threw away his half-burned cigarette.
"No, no. I do not imply that in the least. I only entreat you, as a goodand gallant gentleman, to meet us in a proper spirit and give us yourbest help."
"Indeed, I am quite ready. If there has been any unpleasantness, it hassurely not been of my making, but rather of that little man there." TheGeneral pointed to M. Flocon rather contemptuously, and nearly started afresh disturbance.
"Well, well, let us say no more of that, and proceed to business. Iunderstand," said the Judge, after fingering a few pages of thedispositions in front of him, "that you are a friend of the Contessa diCastagneto? Indeed, she has told us so herself."
"It was very good of her to call me her friend. I am proud to hear sheso considers me."
"How long have you known her?"
"Four or five months. Since the beginning of the last winter season inRome."
"Did you frequent her house?"
"If you mean, was I permitted to call on her on friendly terms, yes."
"Did you know all her friends?"
"How can I answer that? I know whom I met there from time to time."
"Exactly. Did you often meet among them a Signor--Quadling?"
"Quadling--Quadling? I cannot say that I have. The name is familiarsomehow, but I cannot recall the man."
"Have you never heard of the Roman bankers, Correse & Quadling?"
"Ah, of course. Although I have had no dealing with them. Certainly Ihave never met Mr. Quadling."
"Not at the Countess's?"
"Never--of that I am quite sure."
"And yet we have had positive evidence that he was a constant visitorthere."
"It is perfectly incomprehensible to me. Not only have I never met him,but I have never heard the Countess mention his name."
"It will surprise you, then, to be told that he called at her apartmentin the Via Margutta on the very evening of her departure from Rome.Called, was admitted, was closeted with her for more than an hour."
"I am surprised, astounded. I called there myself about four in theafternoon to offer my services for the journey, and I too stayed tillafter five. I can hardly believe it."
"I have more surprises for you, General. What will you think when I tellyou that this very Quadling--this friend, acquaintance, call him whatyou please, but at least intimate enough to pay her a visit on the eveof a long journey--was the man found murdered in the sleeping-car?"
"Can it be possible? Are you sure?" cried Sir Charles, almost startingfrom his chair. "And what do you deduce from all this? What do youimply? An accusation against that lady? Absurd!"
"I respect your chivalrous desire to stand up for a lady who calls youher friend, but we are officials first, and sentiment cannot bepermitted to influence us. We have good reasons for suspecting thatlady. I tell you that frankly, and trust to you as a soldier and man ofhonour not to abuse the confidence reposed in you."
"May I not know those reasons?"
"Because she was in the car--the only woman, you understand--betweenLaroche and Paris."
"Do you suspect a female hand, then?" asked the General, evidently muchinterested and impressed.
"That is so, although I am exceeding my duty in revealing this."
"And you are satisfied that this lady, a refined, delicate person in thebest society, of the highest character,--believe me, I know that to bethe case,--whom you yet suspect of an atrocious crime, was the onlyfemale in the car?"
"Obviously. Who else? What other woman could possibly have been in thecar? No one got in at Laroche; the train never stopped till it reachedParis."
"On that last point at least you are quite mistaken, I assure you. Whynot upon the other also?"
"The train stopped?" interjected the detective. "Why has no one told usthat?"
"Possibly because you never asked. But it is nevertheless the fact.Verify it. Every one will tell you the same."
The detective himself hurried to the door and called in the porter. Hewas within his rights, of course, but the action showed distrust, atwhich the General only smiled, but he laughed outright when the stillstupid and half-dazed porter, of course, corroborated the statement atonce.
"At whose instance was the train pulled up?" asked the detective, andthe Judge nodded his head approvingly.
To know that would fix fresh suspicion.
But the porter could not answer the question.
Some one had rung the alarm-bell--so at least the conductor haddeclared; otherwise they should not have stopped. Yet he, the porter,had not done so, nor did any passenger come forward to admit giving thesignal. But there had been a halt. Yes, assuredly.
"This is a new light," the Judge confessed. "Do you draw any conclusionfrom it?" he went on to ask the
General.
"That is surely your business. I have only elicited the fact to disproveyour theory. But if you wish, I will tell you how it strikes me."
The Judge bowed assent.
"The bare fact that the train was halted would mean little. That wouldbe the natural act of a timid or excitable person involved indirectly insuch a catastrophe. But to disavow the act starts suspicion. The fairinference is that there was some reason, an unavowable reason, forhalting the train."
"And that reason would be--"
"You must see it without my assistance, surely! Why, what else but toafford some one an opportunity to leave the