"I'll come with you, if I may," said the Duke.

"By all means, by all means," said M. Formery.

"I find it all so interesting," said the Duke,




CHAPTER X

GUERCHARD ASSISTS


Leaving a policeman on guard at the door of the drawing-room M.
Formery, the Duke, and the inspector set out on their tour of
inspection. It was a long business, for M. Formery examined every
room with the most scrupulous care--with more care, indeed, than he
had displayed in his examination of the drawing-rooms. In particular
he lingered long in the bedroom of Victoire, discussing the
possibilities of her having been murdered and carried away by the
burglars along with their booty. He seemed, if anything,
disappointed at finding no blood-stains, but to find real
consolation in the thought that she might have been strangled. He
found the inspector in entire agreement with every theory he
enunciated, and he grew more and more disposed to regard him as a
zealous and trustworthy officer. Also he was not at all displeased
at enjoying this opportunity of impressing the Duke with his powers
of analysis and synthesis. He was unaware that, as a rule, the