Part 42 (1/2)
The magistrate asked a question.
”It is a matter of twenty millions, is it not? It must have been a terrible blow to you?”
”Fearful, monsieur,” replied Monsieur Nanteuil. ”Our credit was shaken: it affected a considerable number of our clients, Monsieur Thomery among them, and we consider him one of our most important clients. You are aware, of course, that in financial matters confidence is almost everything!... Our losses have just been covered by an insurance, but we have suffered other than direct material losses. Still”--the banker turned towards Elizabeth, who was wiping tears from her eyes--”still, what are our troubles compared with those which have struck Mademoiselle Dollon blow upon blow? a.s.sa.s.sination of the Baroness de Vibray, mysterious death----”
”The Baroness de Vibray was not a.s.sa.s.sinated, she committed suicide,”
interrupted Fandor sharply. ”Most certainly, I do not wish to make you responsible for that, gentlemen; but when you wrote, announcing her ruin, you dealt her a very hard blow!”
”Could we have done otherwise?” replied Monsieur Barbey, with his customary gravity of manner and tone. ”In our matter of fact business, where all must be clear and definite, we do not mince our words: we are bound to state things as they actually are. What is more, we do not share your point of view, and are convinced that the Baroness de Vibray was certainly murdered.”
Monsieur Fuselier now expressed his opinion, or at least, what he wished to be considered as his opinion:
”Gentlemen, consider yourselves for the moment as not in the presence of the examining magistrate, but as being in the drawing-room of Monsieur Fuselier. In my private capacity, I will give you my opinion regarding the rue Norvins affair. I am decidedly less and less in agreement with Monsieur Fandor, though I recognise with pleasure his fine detective gifts.”
”Thanks,” interrupted Fandor ironically. ”That is a poor compliment!”
Smiling, the magistrate continued:
”I am of the same opinion as Messieurs Barbey-Nanteuil: I believe Madame de Vibray was murdered.”
Fandor could not control his impatience.
”Be logical, messieurs, I beg of you!” he cried. ”The Baroness de Vibray committed suicide. Her letter states her intention. The authenticity of this letter has not been disputed. The disastrous revelations, contained in Messieurs Barbey-Nanteuil's communication, proved too severe a shock for the poor lady's unbalanced brain: the news of her ruin, abruptly conveyed, drove her to desperation. The death of the Baroness de Vibray was voluntary and self-inflicted.”
There was a dead silence. Then Monsieur Barbey asked a question.
”Well, then, Monsieur Fandor, will you explain to us how it happened that the Baroness de Vibray was found dead in the studio of the painter, Jacques Dollon?”
Fandor seemed to expect this question from the banker.
”There are two hypotheses,” he declared. ”The first, and, in my humble opinion, the more improbable, is this: Madame de Vibray at the same time that she decided to put an end to her life, wished to pay her protege a last visit; all the more so, because he had asked her to come and see his work before it was sent in to the Salon. Perhaps the Baroness intended to perform an act of charity, in this instance, before her supreme hour struck. Perhaps she miscalculated the effect of the poison she had taken, and so died in the house of the friend she had come to see and help: her death there could not have been her choice, for she must have known what serious trouble it would involve the artist in, were her dead body found in his studio.
”Here is the second hypothesis, which seems the more plausible. The Baroness de Vibray learns that she is ruined, she decides to die, and by chance or coincidence, which remains to be explained, for I have not the key to it yet, some third parties interested in her fate, learn her decision. They let her write to her lawyer; they do not prevent her poisoning herself; but, as soon as she is dead, they straightway take possession of her dead body and hasten to carry it to Jacques Dollon's studio. To the painter himself they administered either with his consent or by force--probably by force--a powerful narcotic, so that when the police are called in next day they not only find the Baroness lying dead in the studio, but they also find the painter unconscious, close by his visitor. When Jacques Dollon is restored to consciousness, he is quite unable to give any sort of explanation of the tragedy; naturally enough, the police look upon him as the murderer of her who was well known to have been his patroness.... How does that strike you?”
It was now Monsieur Fuselier's turn to hold forth.
”You forget a detail which has its importance! I do not pretend to judge as to whether she was poisoned by her own free act or not; but, in any case, we have this proof--an uncorked phial of cyanide of pota.s.sium was found in Jacques Dollon's studio. It seemed to have been recently opened; but, when the painter was questioned about it, he declared that he had not made use of this ingredient for a very long time.”
Fandor replied:
”I can turn your argument against you, monsieur. If the Baroness de Vibray had been poisoned, voluntarily or not, with the cyanide of pota.s.sium in Dollon's studio, he would have taken the precaution to banish all traces of the poison in question. It would have been his first care! When questioned by the police inspector, he would not have declared that he had not made use of this poison for a very long time!
the contradiction involved is proof that Dollon was sincere; therefore, we are faced by a fact which, if not inexplicable, is, at least, unexplained.”
Monsieur Barbey now had something to say:
”You criticise and hair-split in a remarkable fas.h.i.+on, monsieur, and are an adept in the science of induction; but, let me say without offence meant, that you give me the impression of being rather a romancing journalist than a judicial investigator!... Admitting that the Baroness de Vibray was carried to the painter Dollon's studio after her death, and that seems to be your opinion, what advantage would it be to the criminals to act in such a fas.h.i.+on?”
Jerome Fandor had risen, his eyes s.h.i.+ning, his body vibrating with excitement.