"The story is straight, of course," he said. "Hornblower would not be engaged in anything tricky. Besides, I recognised the lady. I suppose you did, too."
"Yes, I have seen pictures of her. And I admired her for putting back her veil."
"So did I. She has changed since the day of her wedding, Lester—she was a smooth-faced girl, then! Three years of life with her duke have left their mark on her!"
He fell silent, staring thoughtfully at the carpet. Then he shook himself.
"And the maid's story was most interesting," he added. "Nevertheless, there are still a number of things which are not quite clear to me."
"There is one thing I don't understand, myself," I said. "I hadn't any idea this was the right cabinet. I didn't see how it could be."
"That's it, exactly. How did it happen, when the veiled lady went to
Armand & Son in Paris, that she was directed to Philip Vantine?
According to his own story, he did not purchase this cabinet; he had
never seen it before; it was presumably shipped him by mistake;
Armand & Son cable you that it was a mistake; and yet they cite
Vantine as the purchaser. There is something twisted somewhere,
Lester; just where I'll try to find out."
"Which reminds me that Armand's representative hasn't been around yet. No doubt he can straighten the matter out."
"It won't do any harm to hear his story, anyway," Godfrey agreed.
"Now let's have a look at that drawer."
It was standing open as we had left it, and Godfrey pushed it back into place, called my attention to the cunning way in which its outline was concealed by the inlay about it. Then he worked the spring, the handle fell into place, and he drew the drawer out again, as far as it would come, and examined it carefully.