obody in the
house at the time. Nevertheless, a few minutes later, she heard shouts,
followed by the sound of a struggle and two pistol-shots; and from her
lodge she saw four masked men scuttle down the front steps, carrying
Daubrecq the deputy, and hurry toward the gate. They opened the gate.
At the same moment, a motor-car arrived outside the house. The four men
bundled themselves into it; and the motor-car, which had hardly had time
to stop, set off at full speed.

"Were there not always two policemen on duty?" asked Clarisse.

"They were there," said Prasville, "but at a hundred and fifty yards'
distance; and Daubrecq was carried off so quickly that they were unable
to interfere, although they hastened up as fast as they could."

"And did they discover nothing, find nothing?"

"Nothing, or hardly anything... Merely this."

"What is that?"

"A little piece of ivory, which they picked up on the ground. There was
a fifth party in the car; and the portress saw him get down while the
others were hoisting Daubrecq in. As he was stepping back into the car,
he dropped something and picked it up again at once. But the thing,
whatever it was, must have been broken on the pavement; for this is the
bit of ivory which my men found."

"But how did the four men manage to enter the house?" asked Clarisse.

"By means of false keys, evidently, while the portress was doing her
shopping, in the course of the afternoon; and they had no difficulty in
secreting themselves, as Daubrecq keeps no other servants. I have every
reason to believe that they hid in the room next door, which is the
dining-room, and afterward attacked Daubrecq here, in the study. The
disturbance of the furniture and other articles proves how violent the
struggle was. We found a large-bore revolver, belonging to Daubrecq,
on the carpet. One of the bullets had smashed the glass over the
mantel-piece, as you see."

Clarisse turned to her companion for him to express an opinion. But M.
Nicole, with his eyes obstinately lowered, had not budged from his chair
and sat fumbling at the rim of his hat, as though he had not yet found a
proper place for it.

Prasville gave a smile. It was evident that he did not look upon
Clarisse's adviser as a man of first-rate intelligence:

"The case is somewhat puzzling, monsieur," he said, "is it not?"

"Yes... yes," M. Nicole confessed, "most puzzling."

"Then you have no little theory of your own upon the matter?"

"Wel