stolen."

"Oh, no, no," said the Duke. "It hasn't been stolen. Irma, or
perhaps Mademoiselle Kritchnoff, has brought it to Paris for
Germaine."

"Sonia certainly hasn't brought it. It was she who suggested to me
that you had seen it lying on the bureau, and slipped it into your
pocket," said Germaine quickly.

"Then it must be Irma," said the Duke.

"We had better send for her and make sure," said M. Formery.
"Inspector, go and fetch her."

The inspector went out of the room and the Duke questioned Germaine
and her father about the journey, whether it had been very
uncomfortable, and if they were very tired by it. He learned that
they had been so fortunate as to find sleeping compartments on the
train, so that they had suffered as little as might be from their
night of travel.

M. Formery looked through his notes; Guerchard seemed to be going to
sleep where he stood against the wall.

The inspector came back with Irma. She wore the frightened, half-
defensive, half-defiant air which people of her class wear when
confronted by the authorities. Her big, cow's eyes rolled uneasily.

"Oh, Irma--" Germaine began.