“I wish, Mr. Inspector, your man would have given me time to put on a decent dress. I must have been sleeping in this one ever since those rascals tied me up and put that smelly handkerchief over my face. I never saw such a nasty-looking crew as they were in my life.” “How many were there, Madame Victoire?” said Guerchard. “Dozens! The house was just swarming with them. I heard the noise; I came downstairs; and on the landing outside the door here, one of them jumped on me from behind and nearly choked me—to prevent me from screaming, I suppose.” “And they were a nasty-looking crew, were they?” said Guerchard. “Did you see their faces?” “No, I wish I had! I should know them again if I had; but they were all masked,” said Victoire. “Sit down, Madame Victoire. There’s no need to tire you,” said Guerchard. And she sat down on a chair facing him. “Let’s see, you sleep in one of the top rooms, Madame Victoire. It has a dormer window, set in the roof, hasn’t it?” said Guerchard, in the same polite, pleasant voice. “Yes; yes. But what has that got to do with it?” said Victoire. “Please answer my questions,” said Guerchard sharply. “You went to sleep in your room. Did you hear any noise on the roof?” “On the roof? How should I hear it on the roof? There wouldn’t be any noise on the roof,” said Victoire. “You heard nothing on the roof?” said Guerchard. “No; the noise I heard was down here,” said Victoire. “Yes, and you came down to see what was making it. And you were seized from behind on the landing, and brought in here,” said Guerchard. “Yes, that’s right,” said Madame Victoire. “And were you tied up and gagged on the landing, or in here?” said Guerchard. “Oh, I was caught on the landing, and pushed in here, and then tied up,” said Victoire. “I’m sure that wasn’t one man’s job,” said Guerchard, looking at her vigorous figure with admiring eyes. “You may be sure of that,” said Victoire. “It took four of them; and at least two of them have some nice bruises on their shins to show for it.” “I’m sure they have. And it serves them jolly well right,” said Guerchard, in a tone of warm approval. “And, I suppose, while those four were tying you up the others stood round and looked on.” “Oh, no, they were far too busy for that,” said Victoire. “What were they doing?” said Guerchard. “They were taking the pictures off the walls and carrying them out of the window down the ladder,” said Victoire. Guerchard’s eyes flickered towards the Duke, but the expression of earnest inquiry on his face never changed. “Now, tell me, did the man who took a picture from the walls carry it down the ladder himself, or did he hand it through the window to a man who was standing on the top of a ladder ready to receive it?” he said. Victoire paused as if to recall their action; then she said, “Oh, he got through the window, and carried it down the ladder himself.” “You’re sure of that?” said Guerchard.