The inquiries especially concerned Henriette, for, in spite of
everything, they always turned in her direction. They made a
thorough investigation of her past life, and ascertained that,
during the last three years, she had left the house only four
times, and her business, on those occasions, was satisfactorily
explained. As a matter of fact, she acted as chambermaid and
seamstress to the countess, who treated her with great strictness
and even severity.
At the end of a week, the examining judge had secured no more
definite information than the commissary of police. The judge
said:
"Admitting that we know the guilty party, which we do not, we are
confronted by the fact that we do not know how the theft was
committed. We are brought face to face with two obstacles: a door
and a window--both closed and fastened. It is thus a double
mystery. How could anyone enter, and, moreover, how could any one
escape, leaving behind him a bolted door and a fastened window?"
At the end of four months, the secret opinion of the judge was that
the count and countess, being hard pressed for money, which was
their normal condition, had sold the Queen's Necklace.
Pages:
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126