"

"He was much pressed, in a great hurry. Directly he crossed the
threshold he called the first cab and was driving away, but he was
stopped--"

"The devil! Why did they not keep him, then?"

"Stopped, but only for a moment, and accosted by a woman."

"A woman?"

"Yes, monsieur. They exchanged but three words. He wished to pass
on, to leave her, she would not consent, then they both got into
the cab and were driven away together."

The officials were now listening with all ears.

"Tell me," said the Chief, "quick, this woman--what was she like?
Did you get her description?"

"Tall, slight, well formed, dressed all in black. Her face--it was
a policeman who saw her, and he said she was good-looking, dark,
brunette, black hair."

"It is the maid herself!" cried the little Chief, springing up and
slapping his thigh in exuberant glee. "The maid! the missing
maid!"

CHAPTER XIV

The joy of the Chief of Detectives at having thus come, as he
supposed, upon the track of the missing maid, Hortense Petitpre,
was somewhat dashed by the doubts freely expressed by the Judge as
to the result of any search. Since Block's return, M. Beaumont le
Hardi had developed strong symptoms of discontent and disapproval
at his colleague's proceedings.

"But if it was this Hortense Petitpre how did she get there, by
the bridge Henri Quatre, when we thought to find her somewhere
down the line? It cannot be the same woman."

"I beg your pardon, gentlemen," interposed Block. "May I say one
word? I believe I can supply some interesting information about
Hortense Petitpre. I understand that some one like her was seen
here in the station not more than an hour ago."

"_ Peste!_ Why were we not told this sooner?" cried the Chief,
impetuously.

"Who saw her? Did he speak to her? Call him in; let us see how
much he knows."

The man was summoned, one of the subordinate railway officials,
who made a specific report.

Yes, he had seen a tall, slight, neat-looking woman, dressed
entirely in black, who, according to her account, had arrived at
10.30 by the slow local train from Dijon.

"_ Fichtre!_" said the Chief, angrily; "and this is the first we
have heard of it."

"Monsieur was much occupied at the time, and, indeed, then we had
not heard of your inquiry."

"I notified the station-master quite early, two or three hours
since, about 9 A.M. This is most exasperating!"

"Instructions to look out for this woman have only just