explain clearly whether he was alone
with Susy d'Orsel or whether a woman accompanied him."

"Yes, but then they will suspect him.... Oh, M. Juve, what do you
think?"

Juve gave a dry cough and answered:

"Well, Mademoiselle, this is the way I figure it out. Susy d'Orsel has
been the mistress of the King for about two years, and as you know
constancy is unusual with men, it is quite possible that
Frederick-Christian had had enough of his mistress and had become
interested in another woman."

"That doesn't explain anything."

"Oh, yes, it does. It explains everything. Suppose, for instance, that
the King had fallen in love with another demi-mondaine, and that had
brought her to the apartment to notify Susy d'Orsel of his intention to
break with her. Might not a quarrel have arisen between the two women
and the new mistress, exasperated by some taunt, had thrown the
unfortunate Susy d'Orsel out of the window?... That would be a
commonplace enough story."

While speaking Juve was watching carefully the expression on Marie
Pascal's face. She had grown very pale and at the end protested with a
cry:

"No, no, you are wrong. The King had not two mistresses. And besides,
the chemise I found was made of coarse linen, and would not certainly be
worn by that sort of woman."

"Ah," thought Juve, "I wonder if Marie Pascal by any chance is in love
with his Majesty. That would explain many things. To begin with, the
reason why she was watching Susy's window. Also why the King, touched
perhaps by the caprice of this girl, had had a row with his mistress,
and finally why Marie Pascal, having seen him again, had invented the
story of the chemise, which could not be found. This young girl is
imprudent. She lets it be seen too clearly how disagreeable the
hypothesis would be to her. After reasoning thus to himself Juve turned
to the young girl.

"Well, Mademoiselle Marie, if my supposition is wrong there can be only
one explanation, namely, that some woman committed the crime, a woman
who was hidden in the apartment and who subsequently hid the chemise in
the Marquis de Serac's laundry bag, and then having learned of your
discovery returned to your room to recover the compromising article."
Marie Pascal remained silent. Juve continued with the intention of
alarming her out of her reserve.

"But if this last supposition is the right one we must admit that it is
none the less unfortunate for the King. For once the chemise disap