“Pardon, monsieur, I cannot find it.”

“That is absurd.  Where do you keep it?  Look again—­search—­I must have it.”

The porter shook his head hopelessly.

“It is gone, monsieur, and my pocket-book.”

“But your papers, the tickets—­”

“Everything was in it, monsieur.  I must have dropped it.”

Strange, very strange.  However—­the fact was to be recorded, for the moment.  He could of course return to it.

“You can give me the names of the passengers?”

“No, monsieur.  Not exactly.  I cannot remember, not enough to distinguish between them.”

“Fichtre!  But this is most devilishly irritating.  To think that I have to do with a man so stupid—­such an idiot, such an ass!”

“At least you know how the berths were occupied, how many in each, and which persons?  Yes?  You can tell me that?  Well, go on.  By and by we will have the passengers in, and you can fix their places, after I have ascertained their names.  Now, please!  For how many was the car?”

“Sixteen.  There were two compartments of four berths each, and four of two berths each.”

“Stay, let us make a plan.  I will draw it.  Here, now, is that right?” and the Chief held up the rough diagram, here shown—­

[Illustration:  Diagram of railroad car.]

“Here we have the six compartments.  Now take a, with berths 1, 2, 3, and 4.  Were they all occupied?”

“No; only two, by Englishmen.  I know that they talked English, which I understand a little.  One was a soldier; the other, I think, a clergyman, or priest.”

“Good! we can verify that directly.  Now, b, with berths 5 and 6.  Who was there?”

“One gentleman.  I don’t remember his name.  But I shall know him by appearance.”

“Go on.  In c, two berths, 7 and 8?”

“Also one gentleman.  It was he who—­I mean, that is where the crime occurred.”

“Ah, indeed, in 7 and 8?  Very well.  And the next, 9 and 10?”

“A lady.  Our only lady.  She came from Rome.”

“One moment.  Where did the rest come from?  Did any embark on the road?”

“No, monsieur; all the passengers travelled through from Rome.”

“The dead man included?  Was he Roman?”

“That I cannot say, but he came on board at Rome.”

“Very well.  This lady—­she was alone?”

“In the compartment, yes.  But not altogether.”

“I do not understand!”

“She had her servant with her.”

“In the car?”

“No, not in the car.  As a passenger by second class.  But she came to her mistress sometimes, in the car.”

“For her service, I presume?”

“Well, yes, monsieur, when I would permit it.  But she came a little too often, and I was compelled to protest, to speak to Madame la Comtesse—­”

“She was a countess, then?”