"Now I come to Helene Vauquier's second mistake. On the evening
when you saw Mlle. Celie in the garden behind the baccarat-rooms
you noticed that she wore no jewellery except a pair of diamond
eardrops. In the photograph of her which Wethermill showed me,
again she was wearing them. Is it not, therefore, probable that
she usually wore them? When I examined her room I found the case
for those earrings--the case was empty. It was natural, then, to
infer that she was wearing them when she came down to the seance."
"Yes."
"Well, I read a description--a carefully written description--of
the missing girl, made by Helene Vauquier after an examination of
the girl's wardrobe. There is no mention of the earrings. So I
asked her--'Was she not wearing them?' Helene Vauquier was taken
by surprise. How should I know anything of Mlle. Celie's earrings?
She hesitated. She did not quite know what answer to make. Now,
why? Since she herself dressed Mile. Celie, and remembers so very
well all she wore, why does she hesitate? Well, there is a reason.
She does not know how much I know about those diamond eardrops.
She is not sure whether we have not dipped into that pot of cold
cream and found them. Yet without knowing she cannot answer. So
now we come back to our pot of cold cream."
"Yes!" cried Mr. Ricardo. "They were there."
"Wait a bit," said Hanaud. "Let us see how it works out. Remember
the conditions. Vauquier has some small thing which she must hide,
and which she wishes to hide in Mlle. Celie's room. For she
admitted that it was her suggestion that she should look through
mademoiselle's wardrobe. For what reason does she choose the
girl's room, except that if the thing were discovered that would
be the natural place for it? It is, then, something belonging to
Mlle. Celie. There was a second condition we laid down. It was
something Vauquier had not been able to hide before. It came,
then, into her possession last night. Why could she not bide it
last night? Because she was not alone. There were the man and the
woman, her accomplices. It was something, then, which she was
concerned in hiding from them. It is not rash to guess, then, that
it was some piece of the plunder of which the other two would have
claimed their share--and a piece of plunder belonging to Mlle.
Celie. Well, she has nothing but the diamond eardrops. Suppose
Vauquier is left alone to guard Mlle. Celie while the other two
ransack Mme. Dauvray's room. She sees her chance. The girl cannot
stir hand or foot to save herself. Vauquier tears the eardrops in
a hurry from her ears--and there I have my drop of blood just
where I should expect it to be. But now follow this! Vauquier
hides the earrings in her pocket. She goes to bed in order to be
chloroformed. She knows that it is very possible that her room
will be searched before she regains consciousness, or before she
is well enough to move. There is only one place to hide them in,
only one place where they will be safe. In bed with her. But in
the morning she must get rid of them, and a nurse is with her.
Hence the excuse to go to Mlle. Celie's room. If the eardrops are
found in the pot of cold cream, it would only be thought that
Mlle. Celie had herself hidden them there for safety. Again it is
conjecture, and I wish to make sure. So I tell Vauquier she can go
away, and I leave her unwatched. I have her driven to the depot
instead of to her friends, and searched. Upon her is found the pot
of cream, and in the cream Mlle. Celie's eardrops. She has slipped
into Mlle. Celie's room, as, if my theory was correct, she would
be sure to do, and put the pot of cream into her pocket. So I am
now fairly sure that she is concerned in the murder.