ice:
"Now you mustn't be frightened, Mademoiselle Sonia. All you have to do
is to try to remember as clearly as you can the circumstances of the
earlier thefts at Charmerace. You mustn't let them confuse you."

"Thank you, your Grace, I will try and be as clear as I can," said
Sonia; and she gave him an eloquent glance, full of gratitude for the
warning; and went down the stairs with firm steps.

The Duke went on up the stairs, and knocked softly at the door of M.
Gournay-Martin's bedroom. There was no answer to his knock, and he
quietly opened the door and looked in. Overcome by his misfortunes, the
millionaire had sunk into a profound sleep and was snoring softly. The
Duke stepped inside the room, left the door open a couple of inches,
drew a chair to it, and sat down watching the staircase through the
opening of the door.

He sat frowning, with a look of profound pity on his face. Once the
suspense grew too much for him. He rose and walked up and down the
room. His well-bred calm seemed to have deserted him. He muttered
curses on Guerchard, M. Formery, and the whole French criminal system,
very softly, under his breath. His face was distorted to a mask of
fury; and once he wiped the little beads of sweat from his forehead
with his handkerchief. Then he recovered himself, sat down in the
chair, and resumed his watch on the stairs.

At last, at the end of half an hour, which had seemed to him months
long, he heard voices. The drawing-room door shut, and there were
footsteps on the stairs. The inspector and Sonia came into view.

He waited till they were at the top of the stairs: then he came out of
the room, with his most careless air, and said: "Well, Mademoiselle
Sonia, I hope you did not find it so very dreadful, after all."

She was very pale, and there were undried tears on her cheeks. "It was
horrible," she said faintly. "Horrible. M. Formery was all right--he
believed me; but that horrible detective would not believe a word I
said. He confused me. I hardly knew what I was saying."

The Duke ground his teeth softly. "Never mind, it's over now. You had
better lie down and rest. I will tell one of the servants to bring you
up a glass of wine."

He walked with her to the door of her room, and said: "Try to
sleep--sleep away the unpleasant memory."

She went into her room, and the Duke went downstairs and told the
butler to take a glass of champagne up to her. Then he went upstairs to
the drawing-room. M.