At the Villa Rose by AEW Mason Page A

dress. That was never the case
with Madame Dauvray."
    "So that she was under no necessity to have ready money always in her
pocket," said Hanaud. "I understand that. But at times perhaps she won
at the Villa des Fleurs?"
    Helene Vauquier shook her head.
    "She loved the Villa des Fleurs, but she never played for high sums and
often never played at all. If she won a few louis, she was as delighted
with her gains and as afraid to lose them again at the tables as if she
were of the poorest, and she stopped at once. No, monsieur; twenty or
thirty louis—there was never more than that in the house."
    "Then it was certainly for her famous collection of jewellery that
Madame Dauvray was murdered?"
    "Certainly, monsieur."
    "Now, where did she keep her jewellery?"
    "In a safe in her bedroom, monsieur. Every night she took off what she
had been wearing and locked it up with the rest. She was never too
tired for that."
    "And what did she do with the keys?"
    "That I cannot tell you. Certainly she locked her rings and necklaces
away whilst I undressed her. And she laid the keys upon the
dressing-table or the mantel-shelf—anywhere. But in the morning the
keys were no longer where she had left them. She had put them secretly
away."
    Hanaud turned to another point.
    "I suppose that Mademoiselle Celie knew of the safe and that the jewels
were kept there?"
    "Oh yes! Mademoiselle indeed was often in Madame Dauvray's room when
she was dressing or undressing. She must often have seen madame take
them out and lock them up again. But then, monsieur, so did I."
    Hanaud nodded to her with a friendly smile.
    "Thank you once more, mademoiselle," he said. "The torture is over. But
of course Monsieur Fleuriot will require your presence."
    Helene Vauquier looked anxiously towards him.
    "But meanwhile I can go from this villa, monsieur?" she pleaded, with a
trembling voice.
    "Certainly; you shall go to your friends at once."
    "Oh, monsieur, thank you!" she cried, and suddenly she gave way. The
tears began to flow from her eyes. She buried her face in her hands and
sobbed. "It is foolish of me, but what would you?" She jerked out the
words between her sobs. "It has been too terrible."
    "Yes, yes," said Hanaud soothingly. "The nurse will put a few things
together for you in a bag. You will not leave Aix, of course, and I
will send some one with you to your friends."
    The maid started violently.
    "Oh, not a sergent-de-ville, monsieur, I beg of you. I should be
disgraced."
    "No. It shall be a man in plain clothes, to see that you are not
hindered by reporters on the way."
    Hanaud turned towards the door. On the dressing-table a cord was lying.
He took it up and spoke to the nurse.
    "Was this the cord with which Helene Vauquier's hands were tied?"
    "Yes, monsieur," she replied.
    Hanaud handed it to the Commissaire.
    "It will be necessary to keep that," he said.
    It was a thin piece of strong whipcord. It was the same kind of cord as
that which had been found tied round Mme. Dauvray's throat. Hanaud
opened the door and turned back to the nurse.
    "We will send for a cab for Mlle. Vauquier. You will drive with her to
her door. I think after that she will need no further help. Pack up a
few things and bring them down. Mlle. Vauquier can follow, no doubt,
now without assistance." And, with a friendly nod, he left the room.
    Ricardo had been wondering, through the examination, in what light
Hanaud considered Helene Vauquier. He was sympathetic, but the sympathy
might merely have been assumed to deceive. His questions betrayed in no
particular the colour of his mind. Now, however, he made himself clear.
He informed the nurse, in the plainest possible way, that she was no
longer to act as jailer. She was to bring Vauquier's things down; but
Vauquier could follow by herself. Evidently Helene Vauquier was cleared.

Chapter VII - A Startling Discovery
*
    Harry Wethermill, however, was not so easily satisfied.
    "Surely, monsieur, it would be well to know whither she is