"Come back to the point," put in Hauteville. "Had the chambermaid ever seen this lady before?"
"Yes, but not recently. It seems that Kittredge moved to the Hôtel des Étrangers about seven months ago, and soon after that the lady came to see him. Rose says she came three times."
"Did she go to Kittredge's room?" put in Coquenil.
"Yes."
"Can the chambermaid describe her?" continued the judge.
"She says the lady was young and good-looking—that's about all she remembers."
"Hm! Have you anything else to report?"
Gibelin chuckled harshly. "I have kept the most important thing for the last. I'm afraid it will annoy my distinguished colleague even more than the loss of the leather fragments."
"Don't waste your sympathy," retorted Coquenil.
Gibelin gave a little snort of defiance. "I certainly won't. I only mean that your début in this case hasn't been exactly—ha, ha!--well, not exactly brilliant."