At the Villa Rose by A. E. W. Mason Page A

affair of this kind should be conducted.
I was in the room myself the whole time, with my eye upon her."
    "That was just before I came," said Hanaud. He crossed carelessly to
the open window which overlooked the road and, leaning out of it,
looked up the road to the corner round which he and his friends had
come, precisely as the Commissaire had done. Then he turned back into
the room.
    "Which was the last cupboard or drawer that Helene Vauquier touched?"
he asked.
    "This one."
    Besnard stooped and pulled open the bottom drawer of a chest which
stood in the embrasure of the window. A light-coloured dress was lying
at the bottom.
    "I told her to be quick," said Besnard, "since I had seen that you were
coming. She lifted this dress out and said that nothing was missing
there. So I took her back to her room and left her with the nurse."
    Hanaud lifted the light dress from the drawer, shook it out in front of
the window, twirled it round, snatched up a corner of it and held it to
his eyes, and then, folding it quickly, replaced it in the drawer.
    "Now show me the first drawer she touched." And this time he lifted out
a petticoat, and, taking it to the window, examined it with a greater
care. When he had finished with it he handed it to Ricardo to put away,
and stood for a moment or two thoughtful and absorbed. Ricardo in his
turn examined the petticoat. But he could see nothing unusual. It was
an attractive petticoat, dainty with frills and lace, but it was hardly
a thing to grow thoughtful over. He looked up in perplexity and saw
that Hanaud was watching his investigations with a smile of amusement.
    "When M. Ricardo has put that away," he said, "we will hear what Helene
Vauquier has to tell us."
    He passed out of the door last, and, locking it, placed the key in his
pocket.
    "Helene Vauquier's room is, I think, upstairs," he said. And he moved
towards the staircase.
    But as he did so a man in plain clothes, who had been waiting upon the
landing, stepped forward. He carried in his hand a piece of thin,
strong whipcord.
    "Ah, Durette!" cried Besnard. "Monsieur Hanaud, I sent Durette this
morning round the shops of Aix with the cord which was found knotted
round Mme. Dauvray's neck."
    Hanaud advanced quickly to the man.
    "Well! Did you discover anything?"
    "Yes, monsieur," said Durette. "At the shop of M. Corval, in the Rue du
Casino, a young lady in a dark-grey frock and hat bought some cord of
this kind at a few minutes after nine last night. It was just as the
shop was being closed. I showed Corval the photograph of Celie Harland
which M. le Commissaire gave me out of Mme. Dauvray's room, and he
identified it as the portrait of the girl who had bought the cord."
    Complete silence followed upon Durette's words. The whole party stood
like men stupefied. No one looked towards Wethermill; even Hanaud
averted his eyes.
    "Yes, that is very important," he said awkwardly. He turned away and,
followed by the others, went up the stairs to the bedroom of Helene
Vauquier.

Chapter VI - Helene Vauquier's Evidence
*
    A nurse opened the door. Within the room Helene Vauquier was leaning
back in a chair. She looked ill, and her face was very white. On the
appearance of Hanaud, the Commissaire, and the others, however, she
rose to her feet. Ricardo recognised the justice of Hanaud's
description. She stood before them a hard-featured, tall woman of
thirty-five or forty, in a neat black stuff dress, strong with the
strength of a peasant, respectable, reliable. She looked what she had
been, the confidential maid of an elderly woman. On her face there was
now an aspect of eager appeal.
    "Oh, monsieur!" she began, "let me go from here—anywhere—into prison
if you like. But to stay here—where in years past we were so
happy—and with madame lying in the room below. No, it is
insupportable."
    She sank into her chair, and Hanaud came over to her side.
    "Yes, yes," he said, in a soothing voice. "I can understand your
feelings, my poor woman. We will