"'The police could scarcely take it away without your knowledge?' "'They'd 'ave been clever to do it.' "'Had they done so, they would certainly have been exceeding their duties. Now, do not answer the questions I put to you too quickly. Were you in these rooms on the day before M. Felix's death?' "'I were, sir.' "'Was the desk here then?' "'It were; I can swear to that.' "'You saw it with your own eyes?' "'I couldn't see it with no others,' replied Mrs. Middlemore, smirking, in approval of her small wit. "'Of course, you could not. Is there any particular reason why you are so positive of this?' "'Well, sir, Mr. Felix wanted something, and rung for me; and when I come into the room he was sitting at this table with the desk open before him, and all the papers scattered about.' "'That fixes it. Did he seem to be searching for, or examining with more than usual interest, any special document?' "'He seemed flustered and excited, sir. I can't say no more than that.' "'He was not generally of an excitable temperament?' "'Not at all. He was easy going, and always with a pleasant word.' "'A model man. I observe that you call him Mr. and not Monsieur?' "'I can't bring myself to foreign languages, sir. My tongue gits into a knot.' "'He _was_ a foreigner, I suppose?' "'I suppose so, sir. I ain't the best of judges.' "'A Frenchman?' "'So I thought, sir.' "'Or an Italian?' "'Perhaps, sir,' said Mrs. Middlemore, wavering. "'Or a Spaniard?' "'Perhaps, sir,' said Mrs. Middlemore, growing more undecided. "'Or a Russian?' "'How _can_ I say, sir?' said Mrs. Middlemore, now quite at sea as to M. Felix's nationality. "'He spoke the English language well?' "'As well as me, sir.' "'So that, after all, he might have been an Englishman?' "'He might,' said Mrs. Middlemore, declining to commit herself, 'and he mightn't.' "Our reporter did not press the point, as to which Mrs. Middlemore had evidently disclosed all she knew. "'If we could find the missing desk, Mrs. Middlemore, it might throw a light upon the mystery.' "Again did Mrs. Middlemore decline to commit herself; again did she answer, 'It might, and it mightn't, sir.' "'I presume there was nothing in the desk that attracted your attention besides the papers?' "'Only one thing, sir--a curious sort of knife.' "'A paper knife, most likely.' "'It was more like a dagger,' said Mrs. Middlemore. 'It 'ad a 'andle like a twisted snake, with a' open mouth and a colored stone in its eye. It 'ad a sharp pint, too?' "'How did you become aware of that? Did you ever try it?' "'Not me, sir; but once I come in when Mr. Felix 'ad it in 'is 'and, playing with it, and all at once he dropped it like a 'ot pertater. He pricked 'isself with it, and there was blood on 'is 'and.'