Page 39 (1/2)

Ricardo, indeed, knew theirl in her black velvet dress shut up in a cabinet, and a great

lady of the past dimly appear in the darkness? Moreover, Helene

Vauquier's jealousy was so natural and inevitable a thing Her

confession of it corroborated all her story

"Well, then," said Hanaud, "we coht There was a

seance held in the salon last night"

"No,her head; "there was no

seance last night"

"But already you have said--" interrupted the Commissaire; and

Hanaud held up his hand

"Let her speak, my friend"

"Yes, monsieur shall hear," said Vauquier

It appeared that at five o'clock in the afternoon Mme Dauvray and

Mlle Celie prepared to leave the house on foot It was their

custom to walk down at this hour to the Villa des Fleurs, pass an

hour or so there, dine in a restaurant, and return to the Roo On this occasion, however, Mme Dauvray

infor with them

a friend as interested in, but entirely sceptical of,

spiritualistic ht,

Celie, "she said confidently; and the toht Helene closed the shutters both of the

upstair and the downstair s and of the glass doors into the

garden, and returned to the kitchen, which was at the back of the

house--that is, on the side facing the road There had been a fall

of rain at seven which had lasted for the greater part of the