l in it. It
was a beauty that could have but one effect on a normal human male.
She was the most physically desirable woman one could imagine.

_Retro mea, Sathanas_, Father Bright thought wryly. _She's almost
obscenely beautiful._

Only the Countess was unaffected by the desirability of the image.
She saw only the startling beauty.

"Has neither of you seen that woman before? I thought not," said Lord
Darcy. "Nor had Laird or Lady Duncan. Nor Sir Pierre.

"Who is she? We don't know. But we can make a few deductions. She must
have come to the Count's room by appointment. This is quite obviously
the woman Edouard mentioned to Lady Duncan--the woman, the 'she' that
the Scots noblewoman could not compare with. It is almost certain she
is a commoner; otherwise she would not be wearing a robe from the
Count's collection. She must have changed right there in the bedroom.
Then she and the Count quarreled--about what, we do not know. The
Count had previously taken Lady Duncan's pistol away from her and had
evidently carelessly let it lay on that table you see behind the girl.
She grabbed it and shot him. Then she changed clothes again, hung up
the robe, and ran away. No one saw her come or go. The Count had
designed the stairway for just that purpose.

"Oh, we'll find her, never fear--now that we know what she looks like.

"At any rate," Lord Darcy concluded, "the mystery is now solved to my
complete satisfaction, and I shall so report to His Highness."

* * * * *

Richard, Duke of Normandy, poured two liberal portions of excellent
brandy into a pair of crystal goblets. There was a smile of
satisfaction on his youthful face as he handed one of the goblets to
Lord Darcy. "Very well done, my lord," he said. "Very well done."

"I am gratified to hear Your Highness say so," said Lord Darcy,
accepting the brandy.

"But how were you so certain that it was _not_ someone from outside
the castle? Anyone could have come in through the main gate. That's
always open."

"True, Your Highness. But the door at the foot of the stairway was
_locked_. Count D'Evreux locked it after he threw Lady Duncan out.
There is no way of locking or unlocking it from the outside; the door
had not been forced. No one could have come in that way, nor left that
way, after Lady Duncan was so forcibly ejected. The only other way
into the Count's suite was by the other door, and that door was
unlocked."

"I see," said