“Ah!”

CHAPTER VII

When the Judge had brought down the interrogation of the Countess to the production of the small glass bottle, he paused, and with a long-drawn “Ah!” of satisfaction, looked round at his colleagues.

Both M. Flocon and the Commissary nodded their heads approvingly, plainly sharing his triumph.

Then they all put their heads together in close, whispered conference.

“Admirable, M. le Juge!” said the detective.  “You have been most adroit.  It is a clear case.”

“No doubt,” said the Commissary, who was a blunt, rather coarse person, believing that to take anybody and everybody into custody is always the safest and simplest course.  “It looks black against her.  I think she ought to be arrested at once.”

“We might, indeed we ought to have more evidence, more definite evidence, perhaps?” The Judge was musing over the facts as he knew them.  “I should like, before going further, to look at the car,” he said, suddenly coming to a conclusion.

M. Flocon readily agreed.  “We will go together,” he said, adding, “Madame will remain here, please, until we return.  It may not be for long.”

“And afterwards?” asked the Countess, whose nervousness had if anything increased during the whispered colloquy of the officials.

“Ah, afterwards!  Who knows?” was the reply, with a shrug of the shoulders, all most enigmatic and unsatisfactory.

“What have we against her?” said the Judge, as soon as they had gained the absolute privacy of the sleeping-car.

“The bottle of laudanum and the porter’s condition.  He was undoubtedly drugged,” answered the detective; and the discussion which followed took the form of a dialogue between them, for the Commissary took no part in it.

“Yes; but why by the Countess?  How do we know that positively?”

“It is her bottle,” said M. Flocon.

“Her story may be true—­that she missed it, that the maid took it.”

“We have nothing whatever against the maid.  We know nothing about her.”

“No.  Except that she has disappeared.  But that tells more against her mistress.  It is all very vague.  I do not see my way quite, as yet.”

“But the fragment of lace, the broken beading?  Surely, M. le Juge, they are a woman’s, and only one woman was in the car—­”

“So far as we know.”

“But if these could be proved to be hers?”

“Ah! if you could prove that!”

“Easy enough.  Have her searched, here at once, in the station.  There is a female searcher attached to the detention-room.”

“It is a strong measure.  She is a lady.”

“Ladies who commit crimes must not expect to be handled with kid gloves.”

“She is an Englishwoman, or with English connections; titled, too.  I hesitate, upon my word.  Suppose we are wrong?  It may lead to unpleasantness.  M. le Prefet is anxious to avoid complications possibly international.”