“Pardon the question I am about to ask, madame,” said the police officer. “Do you know whether your husband—again I beg you to excuse me—had any ties outside of his own family?”
Mme. Jandidier started up; anger dried her tears.
“I have been married twenty-three years, monsieur, and my husband has never returned home later than ten o’clock.”
“Was your husband in the habit of going to any club or café, madame?” continued the officer.
“Never; I wouldn’t have allowed it.”
“Did he usually carry valuables on his person?”
“I don’t know; I attended to my housekeeping and didn’t trouble myself about business matters.”
It was impossible to get anything more from the haughty wife, who was fairly bewildered by sorrow.
Having performed his duty, the commissary thought he ought to give the poor woman a little commonplace consolation.
But on withdrawing, after an examination of the house, he felt very anxious, and began to suspect that a crime had been committed.