ell, why the devil don't you tell us where she is? Tell us!" cried M.
Formery, purple with exasperation.

"But you won't let me get a word out of my mouth," protested Guerchard
with aggravating gentleness.

"Well, speak!" cried M. Formery; and he sank gasping on to a chair.

"Ah, well, she's here," said Guerchard.

"Here! How did she GET here?" said M. Formery.

"On a mattress," said Guerchard.

M. Formery sat upright, almost beside himself, glaring furiously at
Guerchard:

"What do you stand there pulling all our legs for?" he almost howled.

"Look here," said Guerchard.

He walked across the room to the fireplace, pushed the chairs which
stood bound together on the hearth-rug to one side of the fireplace,
and ran the heavy fire-screen on its casters to the other side of it,
revealing to their gaze the wide, old-fashioned fireplace itself. The
iron brazier which held the coals had been moved into the corner, and a
mattress lay on the floor of the fireplace. On the mattress lay the
figure of a big, middle-aged woman, half-dressed. There was a yellow
gag in her mouth; and her hands and feet were bound together with blue
cords.

"She is sleeping soundly," said Guerchard. He stooped and picked up a
handkerchief, and smelt it. "There's the handkerchief they chloroformed
her with. It still smells of chloroform."

They stared at him and the sleeping woman.

"Lend a hand, inspector," he said. "And you too, Bonavent. She looks a
good weight."

The three of them raised the mattress, and carried it and the sleeping
woman to a broad couch, and laid them on it. They staggered under their
burden, for truly Victoire was a good weight.

M. Formery rose, with recovered breath, but with his face an even
richer purple. His eyes were rolling in his head, as if they were not
under proper control.

He turned on the inspector and cried savagely, "You never examined the
fireplace, inspector!"

"No, sir," said the downcast inspector.

"It was unpardonable--absolutely unpardonable!" cried M. Formery. "How
is one to work with subordinates like this?"

"It was an oversight," said Guerchard.

M. Formery turned to him and said, "You must admit that it was
materially impossible for me to see her."

"It was possible if you went down on all fours," said Guerchard.

"On all fours?" said M. Formery.

"Yes; on all fours you could see her heels sticking out beyond the
mattress," said Guerchard simply.

M. Formery shrugged hi