ry told me, when you were out this afternoon, that he believed
this housekeeper to be quite innocent," said the Duke idly.

"There is certainly one innocent in this affair," said Guerchard,
grinning.

"Who is that?" said the Duke.

"The examining magistrate," said Guerchard.

The door opened, and Bonavent brought Victoire in. She was a big,
middle-aged woman, with a pleasant, cheerful, ruddy face, black-haired,
with sparkling brown eyes, which did not seem to have been at all
dimmed by her long, drugged sleep. She looked like a well-to-do
farmer's wife, a buxom, good-natured, managing woman.

As soon as she came into the room, she said quickly:

"I wish, Mr. Inspector, your man would have given me time to put on a
decent dress. I must have been sleeping in this one ever since those
rascals tied me up and put that smelly handkerchief over my face. I
never saw such a nasty-looking crew as they were in my life."

"How many were there, Madame Victoire?" said Guerchard.

"Dozens! The house was just swarming with them. I heard the noise; I
came downstairs; and on the landing outside the door here, one of them
jumped on me from behind and nearly choked me--to prevent me from
screaming, I suppose."

"And they were a nasty-looking crew, were they?" said Guerchard. "Did
you see their faces?"

"No, I wish I had! I should know them again if I had; but they were all
masked," said Victoire.

"Sit down, Madame Victoire. There's no need to tire you," said
Guerchard. And she sat down on a chair facing him.

"Let's see, you sleep in one of the top rooms, Madame Victoire. It has
a dormer window, set in the roof, hasn't it?" said Guerchard, in the
same polite, pleasant voice.

"Yes; yes. But what has that got to do with it?" said Victoire.

"Please answer my questions," said Guerchard sharply. "You went to
sleep in your room. Did you hear any noise on the roof?"

"On the roof? How should I hear it on the roof? There wouldn't be any
noise on the roof," said Victoire.

"You heard nothing on the roof?" said Guerchard.

"No; the noise I heard was down here," said Victoire.

"Yes, and you came down to see what was making it. And you were seized
from behind on the landing, and brought in here," said Guerchard.

"Yes, that's right," said Madame Victoire.

"And were you tied up and gagged on the landing, or in here?" said
Guerchard.

"Oh, I was caught on the landing, and pushed in here, and then tied
up," said Victoire.