ions the telephone bell rang.

Guerchard rose hastily and went to it. They heard him say: "Is that
Charmerace? ... I want the gardener.... Out? When will he be back? ...
Tell him to ring me up at M. Gournay-Martin's house in Paris the moment
he gets back.... Detective-Inspector Guerchard ... Guerchard ...
Detective-Inspector."

He turned to them with a frown, and said, "Of course, since I want him,
the confounded gardener has gone out for the day. Still, it's of very
little importance--a mere corroboration I wanted." And he went back to
his seat and lighted another cigarette.

M. Formery continued his dissertation. Presently Guerchard said, "You
might go and see how Victoire is, inspector--whether she shows any
signs of waking. What did the doctor say?"

"The doctor said that she would not really be sensible and have her
full wits about her much before ten o'clock to-night," said the
inspector; but he went to examine her present condition.

M. Formery proceeded to discuss the effects of different anesthetics.
The others heard him with very little attention.

The inspector came back and reported that Victoire showed no signs of
awaking.

"Well, then, M. Formery, I think we might get on with the examination
of Mademoiselle Kritchnoff," said Guerchard. "Will you go and fetch
her, inspector?"

"Really, I cannot conceive why you should worry that poor child," the
Duke protested, in a tone of some indignation.

"It seems to me hardly necessary," said M. Formery.

"Excuse me," said Guerchard suavely, "but I attach considerable
importance to it. It seems to me to be our bounden duty to question her
fully. One never knows from what quarter light may come."

"Oh, well, since you make such a point of it," said M. Formery.
"Inspector, ask Mademoiselle Kritchnoff to come here. Fetch her."

The inspector left the room.

Guerchard looked at the Duke with a faint air of uneasiness: "I think
that we had better question Mademoiselle Kritchnoff by ourselves," he
said.

M. Formery looked at him and hesitated. Then he said: "Oh, yes, of
course, by ourselves."

"Certainly," said the Duke, a trifle haughtily. And he rose and opened
the door. He was just going through it when Guerchard said sharply:

"Your Grace--"

The Duke paid no attention to him. He shut the door quickly behind him
and sprang swiftly up the stairs. He met the inspector coming down with
Sonia. Barring their way for a moment he said, in his kindliest vo