wife, and a housekeeper--a woman named Victoire,"
said the inspector.

"I'll see to the concierge and his wife presently. I've sent one of
your men round for their dossier. When I get it I'll question them. You
found them gagged and bound in their bedroom?"

"Yes, M. Formery; and always this imitation of Lupin--a yellow gag,
blue cords, and the motto, 'I take, therefore I am,' on a scrap of
cardboard--his usual bag of tricks."

"Then once again they're going to touch us up in the papers. It's any
odds on it," said M. Formery gloomily. "Where's the housekeeper? I
should like to see her."

"The fact is, we don't know where she is," said the inspector.

"You don't know where she is?" said M. Formery.

"We can't find her anywhere," said the inspector.

"That's excellent, excellent. We've found the accomplice," said M.
Formery with lively delight; and he rubbed his hands together. "At
least, we haven't found her, but we know her."

"I don't think that's the case," said the Duke. "At least, my future
father-in-law and my fiancee had both of them the greatest confidence
in her. Yesterday she telephoned to us at the Chateau de Charmerace.
All the jewels were left in her charge, and the wedding presents as
they were sent in."

"And these jewels and wedding presents--have they been stolen too?"
said M. Formery.

"They don't seem to have been touched," said the Duke, "though of
course we can't tell till M. Gournay-Martin arrives. As far as I can
see, the burglars have only touched these two drawing-rooms."

"That's very annoying," said M. Formery.

"I don't find it so," said the Duke, smiling.

"I was looking at it from the professional point of view," said M.
Formery. He turned to the inspector and added, "You can't have searched
thoroughly. This housekeeper must be somewhere about--if she's really
trustworthy. Have you looked in every room in the house?"

"In every room--under every bed--in every corner and every cupboard,"
said the inspector.

"Bother!" said M. Formery. "Are there no scraps of torn clothes, no
blood-stains, no traces of murder, nothing of interest?"

"Nothing!" said the inspector.

"But this is very regrettable," said M. Formery. "Where did she sleep?
Was her bed unmade?"

"Her room is at the top of the house," said the inspector. "The bed had
been slept in, but she does not appear to have taken away any of her
clothes."

"Extraordinary! This is beginning to look a very complicated busi