"Ah! Monsieur le Comte has arrived. Monsieur le Comte did not telephone me, by any chance?"
The Comte shook his head.
"And yet at three o'clock I received a summons from Monsieur le Comte, to present myself to him at Nice, at the Negresco."
"Really," said the Comte; "and you went?"
"Certainly, Monsieur, but at the Negresco they knew nothing of Monsieur le Comte. He had not been there."
"Ah," said the Comte, "doubtless at that hour Marie was out doing her afternoon marketing?"
"That is so, Monsieur le Comte."
"Ah, well," said the Comte, "it is of no importance. A mistake."
He went upstairs, smiling to himself.
Once within his own room, he bolted his door and looked sharply round. Everything seemed as usual. He opened various drawers and cupboards. Then he nodded to himself. Things had been replaced almost exactly as he had left them, but not quite. It was evident that a very thorough search had been made.