“Everything was in it, monsieur. I must have dropped it.”
Strange, very strange. However—the fact was to be recorded, for the moment. He could of course return to it.
“You can give me the names of the passengers?”
“No, monsieur. Not exactly. I cannot remember, not enough to distinguish between them.”
“Fichtre! But this is most devilishly irritating. To think that I have to do with a man so stupid—such an idiot, such an ass!”
“At least you know how the berths were occupied, how many in each, and which persons? Yes? You can tell me that? Well, go on. By and by we will have the passengers in, and you can fix their places, after I have ascertained their names. Now, please! For how many was the car?”
“Sixteen. There were two compartments of four berths each, and four of two berths each.”
“Stay, let us make a plan. I will draw it. Here, now, is that right?” and the Chief held up the rough diagram, here shown—
“Here we have the six compartments. Now take a, with berths 1, 2, 3, and 4. Were they all occupied?”