“I believe she did.  I saw her cab close behind theirs.”

“It is too late to lament this now,” said the Chief, after a short pause, looking at his colleagues.  “At least it confirms our ideas, and brings us to certain definite conclusions.  We must lay hands on these two.  Their guilt is all but established.  Their own acts condemn them.  They must be arrested without a moment’s delay.”

“If you can find them!” suggested the Judge, with a very perceptible sneer.

“That we shall certainly do.  Trust to Block, who is very nearly concerned.  His future depends on his success.  You quite understand that, my man?”

Block made a gesture half-deprecating, half-confident.

“I do not despair, gentlemen; and if I might make so bold, sir, I will ask you to assist?  If you would give orders direct from the Prefecture to make the round of the cab-stands, to ask of all the agents in charge the information we need?  Before night we shall have heard from the cabman who drove them what became of this couple, and so get our birds themselves, or a point of fresh departure.”

“And you, Block, where shall you go?”

“Where I left him, or rather where he left me,” replied the inspector, with an attempt at wit, which fell quite flat, being extinguished by a frigid look from the Judge.

“Go,” said M. Flocon, briefly and severely, to his subordinate; “and remember that you have now to justify your retention on the force.”

Then, turning to M. Beaumont le Hardi, the Chief went on pleasantly: 

“Well, M. le Juge, it promises, I think; it is all fairly satisfactory, eh?”

“I am sorry I cannot agree with you,” replied the Judge, harshly.  “On the contrary, I consider that we—­or more exactly you, for neither I nor M. Garraud accept any share in it—­you have so far failed, and miserably.”

“Your pardon, M. le Juge, you are too severe,” protested M. Flocon, quite humbly.

“Well!  Look at it from all points of view.  What have we got?  What have we gained?  Nothing, or, if anything, it is of the smallest, and it is already jeopardized, if not absolutely lost.”

“We have at least gained the positive assurance of the guilt of certain individuals.”

“Whom you have allowed to slip through your fingers.”

“Ah, not so, M. le Juge!  We have one under surveillance.  My man Galipaud is there at the hotel watching the Countess.”

“Do not talk to me of your men, M. Flocon,” angrily interposed the Judge.  “One of them has given us a touch of his quality.  Why should not the other be equally foolish?  I quite expect to hear that the Countess also has gone, that would be the climax!”

“It shall not happen.  I will take the warrant and arrest her now, at once, myself,” cried M. Flocon.

“Well, that will be something, yet not much.  Yes, she is only one, and not to my mind the most criminal.  We do not know as yet the exact responsibility of each, the exact measure of their guilt; but I do not myself believe that the Countess was a prime mover, or, indeed, more than an accessory.  She was drawn into it, perhaps involved, how or why we cannot know, but possibly by fortuitous circumstances that put an unavoidable pressure upon her; a consenting party, but under protest.  That is my view of the lady.”