"Do you suspect a female hand, then?" asked the General, evidently much
interested and impressed.

"That is so, although I am exceeding my duty in revealing this."

"And you are satisfied that this lady, a refined, delicate person in the
best society, of the highest character,--believe me, I know that to be
the case,--whom you yet suspect of an atrocious crime, was the only
female in the car?"

"Obviously. Who else? What other woman could possibly have been in the
car? No one got in at Laroche; the train never stopped till it reached
Paris."

"On that last point at least you are quite mistaken, I assure you. Why
not upon the other also?"

"The train stopped?" interjected the detective. "Why has no one told us
that?"

"Possibly because you never asked. But it is nevertheless the fact.
Verify it. Every one will tell you the same."

The detective himself hurried to the door and called in the porter. He
was within his rights, of course, but the action showed distrust, at
which the General only smiled, but he laughed outright when the still
stupid and half-dazed porter, of course, corroborated the statement at
once.