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wrote it It would have been iuests

to see what he had written, even if they had wished Ricardo,

indeed, did wish He rather resented the secrecy hich the

detective, under a show of openness, shrouded his thoughts and

acts Hanaud sent the waiter out to fetch an officer in plain

clothes, as in attendance at the door, and he handed the

letter to this uests

"It is necessary that we should find out," he explained, "as soon

as possible, the whole record of Mlle Celie"

He lighted a cigar, and over the coffee he put a question to

Ricardo

"Now tell me what you make of the case What M Wethermill thinks-

-that is clear, is it not? Helene Vauquier is the guilty one But

you, M Ricardo? What is your opinion?"

Ricardo took from his pocket-book a sheet of paper and from his

pocket a pencil He was intensely flattered by the request of

Hanaud, and he proposed to do himself justice "I will make a note

here of what I think the salient features of the mystery"; and he

proceeded to tabulate the points in the folloay: (1) Celia Harland made her entrance into Mme Dauvray's household

under very doubtful circumstances