"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 compartment with a gentleman. She shut the door
between her carriage and mine, so that I didn't 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 compartment, 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; that's 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 don't think so, sir; I took it that he had come 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. Carrège 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 didn't sleep
well at nights, so that she liked sleeping on in the morning."
Again M. Carrège passed to another subject.
"Amongst the luggage there was a scarlet morocco case, was there not?"
he asked. "Your mistress's jewel-case?"
"Yes, sir."
"Did you take that case to the Ritz?"
"_Me_ take the mistress's jewel-case to the Ritz! Oh no, indeed, sir."
Mason's 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.
Mason turned to him.
"I think it was you who gave them to her, sir, not very long ago."
"My God!" cried Van Aldin. "You don't say she had those rubies with
her? I told her to leave them at the Bank."
Mason gave once more the discreet cough which was apparently part of
her stock-in-trade as a lady's maid. This time it expressed a good
deal. It expressed far more clearly than words could have done, that
Mason's mistress had been a lady who took her own way.
"Ruth must have been mad," muttered Van Aldin. "What on earth could
have possessed her?"
M. Carrège in turn gave vent to a cough, again a cough of significance.
It riveted Van Aldin's attention on him.
"For the moment," said M. Carrège, addressing Mason, "I think that is
all. If you will go into the next room, Mademoiselle, they will read
over to you the questions and answers, and you will sign accordingly."
Mason went out escorted by the clerk, and Van Aldin said immediately to
the Magistrate:
"Well?"
M. Carrège opened a drawer in his desk, took out a letter, and handed
it across to Van Aldin.
"This was found in Madame's handbag."
_"Chère Amie" (the letter ran)--"I will obey you; I will be
prudent, discreet--all those things that a lover most hates. Paris
would perhaps have been unwise, but the Isles d'Or are far away
from the world, and you may be assured that nothing will leak out.
It is like you and your divine sympathy to be so interested in the
work on famous jewels that I am writing. It will, indeed, be an
extraordinary privilege to actually see and handle these historic
rubies. I am devoting a special passage to 'Heart of Fire.' My
wonderful one! Soon I will make up to you for all those sad years
of separation and emptiness.--Your ever-adoring,_
"_Armand._"