anker
turned towards Elizabeth, who was wiping tears from her eyes--"still,
what are our troubles compared with those which have struck Mademoiselle
Dollon blow upon blow? Assassination of the Baroness de Vibray,
mysterious death----"

"The Baroness de Vibray was not assassinated, she committed suicide,"
interrupted Fandor sharply. "Most certainly, I do not wish to make you
responsible for that, gentlemen; but when you wrote, announcing her
ruin, you dealt her a very hard blow!"

"Could we have done otherwise?" replied Monsieur Barbey, with his
customary gravity of manner and tone. "In our matter of fact business,
where all must be clear and definite, we do not mince our words: we are
bound to state things as they actually are. What is more, we do not
share your point of view, and are convinced that the Baroness de Vibray
was certainly murdered."

Monsieur Fuselier now expressed his opinion, or at least, what he wished
to be considered as his opinion:

"Gentlemen, consider yourselves for the moment as not in the presence of
the examining magistrate, but as being in the drawing-room of Monsieur
Fuselier. In my private capacity, I will give you my opinion regarding
the rue Norvins affair. I am decidedly less and less in agreement with
Monsieur Fandor, though I recognise with pleasure his fine detective
gifts."

"Thanks," interrupted Fandor ironically. "That is a poor compliment!"

Smiling, the magistrate continued:

"I am of the same opinion as Messieurs Barbey-Nanteuil: I believe Madame
de Vibray was murdered."

Fandor could not control his impatience.

"Be logical, messieurs, I beg of you!" he cried. "The Baroness de
Vibray committed suicide. Her letter states her intention. The
authenticity of this letter has not been disputed. The disastrous
revelations, contained in Messieurs Barbey-Nanteuil's communication,
proved too severe a shock for the poor lady's unbalanced brain: the news
of her ruin, abruptly conveyed, drove her to desperation. The death of
the Baroness de Vibray was voluntary and self-inflicted."

There was a dead silence. Then Monsieur Barbey asked a question.

"Well, then, Monsieur Fandor, will you explain to us how it happened
that the Baroness de Vibray was found dead in the studio of the painter,
Jacques Dollon?"

Fandor seemed to expect this question from the banker.

"There are two hypotheses," he declared. "The first, and, in my humble
opinion, the more improbable, is this: Madame d