elle
Elizabeth's room, whilst I try to discover some clues, before the police
arrive on the scene."

To tell the truth, our young journalist felt embarrassed at the idea
that Elizabeth Dollon was about to regain consciousness, and that he
would have to submit to being thanked by her, when she knew who had
saved her.

Accompanied by the manservant, he went quickly upstairs and into
Elizabeth's room.

"You must not enter Mademoiselle Dollon's room on any account!" said
Fandor sternly. "It is quite enough that I should run the risk of
effacing the, probably very slight, clues which the delinquents have
left behind them...."

"But, monsieur, if the young lady put the tubing between her lips, it
must have been because she wished to destroy herself!"

"On the face of it you are right, my good fellow. But, when one is
right, one is often wrong!"

Without more ado, Fandor started on a minute inspection of the room.
Elizabeth had but stated the truth when she wrote that it had been
thoroughly ransacked. Only her toilet things had been spared; but some
books had been taken from their shelves and thrown about the floor,
their pages crumpled and spoilt. He noticed the emptied trunk: its
contents--copy books, letters, pieces of music--had been roughly dealt
with. On the mantelpiece, in full view, lay Elizabeth's jewellery--some
rings and brooches, a small gold watch, a purse.

"A very queer affair," murmured Fandor, who was kneeling in the middle
of the room, rummaging, searching, and not finding any clue. He rose,
carefully examined all the woodwork, but found nothing incriminating. He
examined the lock of the unhinged door, which had subsided on the floor.
The lock was intact, the bolt moved freely: the screws only of the
staple had given way.

"That," thought Fandor, "is probably owing to the force of my thrust!"

The window fastening was intact: the window closed.

"If the robbers," reflected Fandor, "got into a closed room, they must
have used false keys."

Having examined the means of access to the room, Fandor started on a
still more minute examination of the interior. He scrutinised the
furniture and the slight powdering of dust on each article: in vain!...
Then the washstand had its turn: nothing!... He scrutinised the soap.

"Ah! This is interesting!" he cried. The manservant had made himself
scarce; and Fandor, unobserved, could wrap up the piece of soap in his
handkerchief and hide it in the lowest drawer