"Quite alone. Now what do you suppose he found; the place has been ransacked dozens of times, you know; of course I mean something sensational in the way of a find. I bet you a thousand----" "I never bet," Gurn snapped. "Tell me at once what it was." The young fellow was proud of having caught the attention of his leader's notorious client, if only for a moment; he paused and wagged his head, weighing each word to give them greater emphasis. "He found an ordnance map in your bookcase, my dear chap--an ordnance map with a bit torn out of it." "Oh! And what then?" said Gurn, a frown upon his face. The young barrister did not notice the expression on the murderer's countenance. "Well, then it appears that Juve thought it was very important. Between you and me, my opinion is that Juve tries to be frightfully clever and succeeds in looking a fool. How, I ask you, can the discovery of that map affect your case or influence the decision of the jury? By the way, there is no need for you to worry about the result; I have had a frightful lot of experience in criminal cases, and so be assured you are all right: extenuating circumstances, you know. But--oh, yes, there is one thing more I wanted to tell you. A fresh witness is going to be called at the examination; let me see, what's his name? Dollon: that's it: the steward, Dollon." "I don't understand," said Gurn; his head was bent and his eyes cast down. A glimmer of light dawned in the young licentiate's brain. "Wait, there is some connection," he said. "The steward, Dollon, is in the employment of a lady who calls herself the Baronne de Vibray. And the Baronne de Vibray is guardian to the young lady who was staying with Lady Beltham the day, or rather the night, when you--you--well, you know. And that young lady, Mlle. Thérèse Auvernois, was placed with Lady Beltham by M. Etienne Rambert. And M. Etienne Rambert is the father of the young man who murdered the Marquise de Langrune last year. I tell you all these things without attempting to draw any deductions from them, for, for my own part, I haven't the least idea why the steward, Dollon, has been summoned in our case at all." "Nor have I," said Gurn, and the frown on his brow was deeper. Roger de Seras hunted all round the little room for his gloves and found them in his pocket. "Well, my dear chap, I must leave you. We have been chatting for a whole half-hour, and those ladies are still waiting for me. What on earth will they say to me?" He was about to ring for the warder when Gurn abruptly stayed him. "Tell me," he said with a sudden air of interest, "when is that man coming--what's his name? Dollon?" The young barrister was on the point of saying he did not know, when a brilliant recollection came into his mind. "'Gad, how frightfully stupid I am! Why, I have a copy of the telegram he sent the magistrate in my portfolio here now." He opened the portfolio and picked out a sheet of blue paper. "Here it is."