The evidence against him is
clear and convincing. On the silken sleeve of his liveried
waistcoat, which chief detective Dudouis found in his garret
between the mattresses of his bed, several spots of blood were
discovered. In addition, a cloth-covered button was missing from
that garment, and this button was found beneath the bed of the
victim.
"It is supposed that, after dinner, in place of going to his own
room, Danegre slipped into the wardrobe-closet, and, through the
glass door, had seen the countess hide the precious black pearl.
This is simply a theory, as yet unverified by any evidence. There
is, also, another obscure point. At seven o'clock in the morning,
Danegre went to the tobacco-shop on the Boulevard de Courcelles;
the concierge and the shop-keeper both affirm this fact. On the
other hand, the countess' companion and cook, who sleep at the end
of the hall, both declare that, when they arose at eight o'clock,
the door of the antechamber and the door of the kitchen were
locked. These two persons have been in the service of the countess
for twenty years, and are above suspicion. The question is: How
did Danegre leave the apartment? Did he have another key? These
are matters that the police will investigate.
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