“And these friends were—?”

“Sir Charles Collingham and his brother.  They came and sat with me occasionally; sometimes one, sometimes the other.”

“During the day?”

“Of course, during the day.”  Her eyes flashed, as though the question was another offence.

“Have you known them long?”

“The General I met in Roman society last winter.  It was he who introduced his brother.”

“Very good, so far.  The General knew you, took an interest in you.  That explains his strange, unjustifiable conduct just now—­”

“I do not think it was either strange or unjustifiable,” interrupted the Countess, hotly. “He is a gentleman.”

“Quite a preux cavalier, of course.  But we will pass on.  You are not a good sleeper, I believe, madame?”

“Indeed no, I sleep badly, as a rule.”

“Then you would be easily disturbed.  Now, last night, did you hear anything strange in the car, more particularly in the adjoining compartment?”

“Nothing.”

“No sound of voices raised high, no noise of a conflict, a struggle?”

“No, monsieur.”

“That is odd.  I cannot understand it.  We know, beyond all question, from the appearance of the body,—­the corpse,—­that there was a fight, an encounter.  Yet you, a wretched sleeper, with only a thin plank of wood between you and the affray, hear nothing, absolutely nothing.  It is most extraordinary.”

“I was asleep.  I must have been asleep.”

“A light sleeper would certainly be awakened.  How can you explain—­how can you reconcile that?” The question was blandly put, but the Judge’s incredulity verged upon actual insolence.

“Easily:  I had taken a soporific.  I always do, on a journey.  I am obliged to keep something, sulphonal or chloral, by me, on purpose.”

“Then this, madame, is yours?” And the Judge, with an air of undisguised triumph, produced the small glass vial which M. Flocon had picked up in the sleeping-car near the conductor’s seat.

The Countess, with a quick gesture, put out her hand to take it.

“No, I cannot give it up.  Look as near as you like, and say is it yours?”

“Of course it is mine.  Where did you get it?  Not in my berth?”

“No, madame, not in your berth.”

“But where?”

“Pardon me, we shall not tell you—­not just now.”

“I missed it last night,” went on the Countess, slightly confused.

“After you had taken your dose of chloral?”

“No, before.”

“And why did you want this?  It is laudanum.”

“For my nerves.  I have a toothache.  I—­I—­really, sir, I need not tell you all my ailments.”

“And the maid had removed it?”

“So I presume; she must have taken it out of the bag in the first instance.”

“And then kept it?”

“That is what I can only suppose.”