"It shall not happen. I will take the warrant and arrest her now,
at once, myself," cried M. Floçon.

"Well, that will be something, yet not much. Yes, she is only one,
and not to my mind the most criminal. We do not know as yet the
exact responsibility of each, the exact measure of their guilt;
but I do not myself believe that the Countess was a prime mover,
or, indeed, more than an accessory. She was drawn into it, perhaps
involved, how or why we cannot know, but possibly by fortuitous
circumstances that put an unavoidable pressure upon her; a
consenting party, but under protest. That is my view of the lady."

M. Floçon shook his head. Prepossessions with him were tenacious,
and he had made up his mind about the Countess's guilt.

"When you again interrogate her, M. le Juge, by the light of your
present knowledge, I believe you will think otherwise. She will
confess,--you will make her, your skill is unrivalled,--and you
will then admit, M. le Juge, that I was right in my suspicions."

"Ah, well, produce her! We shall see," said the Judge, somewhat
mollified by M. Floçon's fulsome flattery.

"I will bring her to your chamber of instruction within an hour,
M. le Juge," said the detective, very confidently.

But he was doomed to disappointment in this as he was in other
respects.