Part 8 (2/2)
The hall below was just then full of people--coming in and out of the dining-room and so on. She set the whole place going with the noise she made,” added the manager, visibly annoyed. ”It would have been far better if she'd shown some reserve--”
”Reserve is certainly an admirable quality,” commented Fullaway, ”but it is foreign to young ladies of Mademoiselle's temperament.
Well--and then?”
”Oh, then, of course, I came up to her suite. She showed me this box. It had stood, she declared, on a table by her bedside, close to her pillows, from the moment she entered her rooms yesterday. She swore that it ought to have been full of her jewels--in cases. When she had opened it--just before this--it was empty. Of course, she demanded the instant presence of the police. Also, she insisted that I should at once, that minute, lock every door in the hotel, and arrest every person in it until their effects and themselves could be rigorously searched and examined.
Ridiculous!”
”As you doubtless said,” remarked Fullaway.
”No--I said nothing. Instead I telephoned for police a.s.sistance. These two officers came. And,” concluded the manager, with a sympathetic glance at the detectives, ”since they came Mademoiselle has done nothing but insist on arresting every soul within these walls--she seems to think there's a universal conspiracy against her.”
”Exactly,” said Fullaway. ”It is precisely what she would think--under the circ.u.mstances. Now let us see this chambermaid.”
The manager opened the door of the bedroom, and called in a pretty, somewhat shy, Scotch damsel, who betrayed a becoming confusion at the sight of so many strangers. But she gave a plain and straightforward account of her relations with Mademoiselle since the arrival of yesterday. She had been in almost constant attendance on Mademoiselle ever since her election to the post of temporary maid--had never left her save at meal-times. The little chest had stood at Mademoiselle's bed-head always--she had never seen it moved, or opened. There was a door leading into the bedroom from the corridor. Mademoiselle had never left the suite of rooms since her arrival. She had talked that morning of going for a drive, but rain had begun to fall, and she had stayed in. Mademoiselle had seemed utterly horrified when she discovered her loss. For a moment she had sunk on her bed as if she were going to faint; then she had rushed out into the corridor, just as she was, screaming for the manager and the police.
When the pretty chambermaid had retired, Fullaway took up the box from which the missing property was believed to have been abstracted. He examined it with seeming indifference, yet he announced its particulars and specifications with business-like accuracy.
”Well--this chest, cabinet, or box,” he observed carelessly. ”Let us look at it. Here, gentlemen, we have a piece of well-made work. It is--yes, eighteen inches square all ways. It is made of--yes, rosewood. Its corners, you see, are clamped with bra.s.s. It has a swing handle, fitted into this bra.s.s plate which is sunk into the lid. It has also three bra.s.s letters sunk into that lid--Z. D. L. Its lock does not appear to be of anything but an ordinary nature. Taking it altogether, I don't think this is the sort of thing in which you would believe a lady was carrying several thousand pounds' worth of pearls and diamonds. Eh?”
One of the detectives stirred uneasily--he did not quite understand the American's light and easy manner, and he seemed to suspect him of persiflage.
”We ought to be furnished with a list of the missing articles,” he said.
”That's the first thing.”
”By no means,” replied Fullaway. ”That, my dear sir, is neither the first, nor the second, nor the third thing. There is much to do before we get to that stage. At present, you, gentlemen, cannot do anything.
To-morrow morning, perhaps, when I have consulted with Mademoiselle de Longarde, I may call you in again--or call upon you. In the meantime, there's no need to detain you. Now,” he continued, turning to the manager, when the detectives, somewhat puzzled and bewildered, had left the room, ”will you see that your nicest supper is served--for three--in this room at eleven o'clock, against Mademoiselle's return? Send up your best champagne. And do not allow yourself to dwell on Mademoiselle's agitation on discovering her loss. That agitation was natural. If it is any consolation to you, I will give you a conclusion which may be satisfactory to your peace of mind as manager. What is it? Merely this--that though Mademoiselle de Longarde has undoubtedly lost her jewels, they were certainly not stolen from her in this hotel!”
CHAPTER IX
THE LADY'S MAID'S MOTHER
When the manager, much appeased and relieved in mind, had gone, Fullaway tapped at the door of the bedroom, summoned the pretty chambermaid, and handed her the rosewood box.
”Put this back exactly where Mademoiselle has kept it since she came here,” he commanded. ”Now you yourself--you're going to stay in the rooms until she comes back from the concert? That's right--if she returns before my friend and I come up again, tell her that we shall present ourselves at five minutes to eleven. Come downstairs, Allerd.y.k.e,” he proceeded, leading the way from the room. ”We must book rooms for the night here, so we'll send to the station for our things and make our arrangements, after which we'll smoke a cigar and talk--I am beginning to see c.h.i.n.ks of daylight.”
He led Allerd.y.k.e down to the office, completed the necessary arrangements, and went on to the smoking-room, in a quiet corner of which he pulled out his cigar-case.
”Well?” he said. ”What do you think now?”
”I think you're a smart chap,” answered Allerd.y.k.e bluntly. ”You did all that very well. I said naught, but I kept an eye and an ear open.
You'll do.”
”Very complimentary!--but I wasn't asking you what you thought about me,”
said Fullaway, with a laugh. ”I'm asking you what you think of the situation, as illuminated by this last episode?”
”Well, I'm still reflecting on what you said to that manager chap,” answered Allerd.y.k.e. ”You really think this young woman has lost her jewels?”
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