Andermatt at home?....Please tell him that Mon. Dudouis
wished him to come at once to 102 Boulevard Maillot. Very
important."
Twenty minutes later, Mon. Andermatt arrived in his automobile.
After the circumstances had been explained to him, he was taken in
to see the corpse. He displayed considerable emotion, and spoke,
in a low tone, and apparently unwillingly:
"Etienne Varin," he said.
"You know him?"
"No....or, at least, yes....by sight only. His brother...."
"Ah! he has a brother?"
"Yes, Alfred Varin. He came to see me once on some matter of
business....I forget what it was."
"Where does he live?"
"The two brothers live together--rue de Provence, I think."
"Do you know any reason why he should commit suicide?"
"None."
"He held a card in his hand. It was your card with your address."
"I do not understand that. It must have been there by some chance
that will be disclosed by the investigation."
A very strange chance, I thought; and I felt that the others
entertained the same impression.
I discovered the same impression in the papers next day, and
amongst all my friends with whom I discussed the affair. Amid the
mysteries that enveloped it, after the double discovery of the
seven of hearts pierced with seven holes, after the two inscrutable
events that had happened in my house, that visiting card promised
to throw some light on the affair.
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