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第15部分（第1页）

that　the　gentlemen　who　were　speaking　to　her　were　of　the　same　nationality　as　the　trains。

〃Now　let　us　talk　this　affair　over；〃　said　M。　Carrege。　〃There　was；　I　understand；　no　question　of　your　staying　in　Paris　when　you　started　from　London？〃

〃Oh　no；　sir。　We　were　to　go　straight　through　to　Nice。〃

〃Have　you　ever　been　abroad　with　your　mistress　before？〃

〃No；　sir。　I　had　only　been　with　her　two　months；　you　see。〃

〃Did　she　seem　quite　as　usual　when　starting　on　this　journey？〃

〃She　was　worried　like　and　a　bit　upset；　and　she　was　rather　irritable　and　difficult　to　please。〃

M。　Carrege　nodded。

〃Now　then；　Mason；　what　was　the　first　you　heard　of　your　stopping　in　Paris？〃

〃It　was　at　the　place　they　call　the　Gare　de　Lyon；　sir。　My　mistress　was　thinking　of　getting　out　and　walking　up　and　down　the　platform。　She　was　just　going　out　into　the　corridor　when　she　gave　a　sudden　exclamation；　and　came　back　into　her　partment　with　a　gentleman。　She　shut　the　door　between　her　carriage　and　mine；　so　that　I　didnt　see　or　hear　anything；　till　she　suddenly　opened　it　again　and　told　me　that　she　had　changed　her　plans。　She　gave　me　some　money　and　told　me　to　get　out　and　go　to　the　Ritz。　They　knew　her　well　there；　she　said；　and　would　give　me　a　room。　I　was　to　wait　there　until　I　heard　from　her；　she　would　wire　me　what　she　wanted　me　to　do。　I　had　just　time　to　get　my　things　together　and　jump　out　of　the　train　before　it　started　off。　It　was　a　rush。〃

〃While　Mrs　Kettering　was　telling　you　this；　where　was　the　gentleman？〃

〃He　was　standing　in　the　other　partment；　sir；　looking　out　of　the　window。〃

〃Can　you　describe　him　to　us？〃

〃Well；　you　see；　sir；　I　hardly　saw　him。　He　had　his　back　to　me　most　of　the　time。　He　was　a　tall　gentleman　and　dark；　thats　all　I　can　say。　He　was　dressed　very　like　any　other　gentleman　in　a　dark　blue　overcoat　and　a　grey　hat。〃

〃Was　he　one　of　the　passengers　on　the　train？〃

〃I　dont　think　so；　sir；　I　took　it　that　he　had　e　to　the　station　to　see　Mrs　Kettering　in　passing　through。　Of　course　he　might　have　been　one　of　the　passengers；　I　never　thought　of　that。〃

Mason　seemed　a　little　flurried　by　the　suggestion。

〃Ah！〃　M。　Carrege　passed　lightly　to　another　subject。　〃Your　mistress　later　requested　the　conductor　not　to　rouse　her　early　in　the　morning。　Was　that　a　likely　thing　for　her　to　do；　do　you　think？〃

〃Oh　yes；　sir。　The　mistress　never　ate　any　breakfast　and　she　didnt　sleep　well　at　nights；　so　that　she　liked　sleeping　on　in　the　morning。〃

Again　M。　Carrege　passed　to　another　subject。

〃Amongst　the　luggage　there　was　a　scarlet　morocco　case；　was　there　not？〃　he　asked。　〃Your　mistresss　jewel…case？〃

〃Yes；　sir。〃

〃Did　you　take　that　case　to　the　Ritz？〃

〃Me　take　the　mistresss　jewel…case　to　the　Ritz？　Oh　no；　indeed；　sir。〃　Masons　tones　were　horrified。

〃You　left　it　behind　you　in　the　carriage？〃

〃Yes；　sir。〃

〃Had　your　mistress　many　jewels　with　her；　do　you　know？〃

〃A　fair　amount；　sir；　made　me　a　bit　uneasy　sometimes；　I　can　tell　you；　with　those　nasty　tales　you　hear　of　being　robbed　in　foreign　countries。　They　were　insured；　I　know；　but　all　the　same　it　seemed　a　frightful　risk。　Why；　the　rubies　alone；　the　mistress　told　me；　were　worth　several　hundred　thousand　pounds。〃

〃The　rubies！　What　rubies？〃　barked　Van　Aldin　suddenly。