blind? Women are born actresses, and at need can assume any part, convey
any impression. Might not the Countess have wished to be dissociated
from the maid, and therefore have affected complete ignorance of her
flight?

"I will try her further," said M. Floçon to himself.

But then, supposing that the maid had taken herself off of her own
accord? Why was it? Why had she done so? Because--because she was afraid
of something. If so, of what? No direct accusation could be brought
against her on the face of it. She had not been in the sleeping-car at
the time of the murder, while the Countess as certainly was; and,
according to strong presumption, in the very compartment where the deed
was done. If the maid was afraid, why was she afraid?

Only on one possible hypothesis. That she was either in collusion with
the Countess, or possessed of some guilty knowledge tending to
incriminate the Countess and probably herself. She had run away to avoid
any inconvenient questioning tending to get her mistress into trouble,
which would react probably on herself.

"We must press the Countess on this point closely; I will put it plainly
to M. le Juge," said the detective, as he entered the private room set
apart for the police authorities, where he found M. Beaumont le Hardi,
the instructing judge, and the Commissary of the Quartier
(arrondissement).

A lengthy conference followed among the officials. M. Floçon told all he
knew, all he had discovered, gave his views with all the force and
fluency of a public prosecutor, and was congratulated warmly on the