ain. Germaine and the Duke looked at one
another uneasily.

"Have you been long in the service of Mademoiselle Gournay-Martin?"
said M. Formery.

"Six months, sir," said Irma.

"Very good, thank you. You can go," said M. Formery. "I may want you
again presently."

Irma went quickly out of the room with an air of relief.

M. Formery scribbled a few words on the paper before him and then said:
"Well, I will proceed to question Mademoiselle Kritchnoff."

"Mademoiselle Kritchnoff is quite above suspicion," said the Duke
quickly.

"Oh, yes, quite," said Germaine.

"How long has Mademoiselle Kritchnoff been in your service,
Mademoiselle?" said Guerchard.

"Let me think," said Germaine, knitting her brow.

"Can't you remember?" said M. Formery.

"Just about three years," said Germaine.

"That's exactly the time at which the thefts began," said M. Formery.

"Yes," said Germaine, reluctantly.

"Ask Mademoiselle Kritchnoff to come here, inspector," said M. Formery.

"Yes, sir," said the inspector.

"I'll go and fetch her--I know where to find her," said the Duke
quickly, moving toward the door.

"Please, please, your Grace," protested Guerchard. "The inspector will
fetch her."

The Duke turned sharply and looked at him: "I beg your pardon, but do
you--" he said.

"Please don't be annoyed, your Grace," Guerchard interrupted. "But M.
Formery agrees with me--it would be quite irregular."

"Yes, yes, your Grace," said M. Formery. "We have our method of
procedure. It is best to adhere to it--much the best. It is the result
of years of experience of the best way of getting the truth."

"Just as you please," said the Duke, shrugging his shoulders.

The inspector came into the room: "Mademoiselle Kritchnoff will be here
in a moment. She was just going out."

"She was going out?" said M. Formery. "You don't mean to say you're
letting members of the household go out?"

"No, sir," said the inspector. "I mean that she was just asking if she
might go out."

M. Formery beckoned the inspector to him, and said to him in a voice
too low for the others to hear:

"Just slip up to her room and search her trunks."

"There is no need to take the trouble," said Guerchard, in the same low
voice, but with sufficient emphasis.

"No, of course not. There's no need to take the trouble," M. Formery
repeated after him.

The door opened, and Sonia came in. She was still wearing her
travelling costume, and she carried her