She related to him the same story she had told Riche a few months before in the café at the corner of the Boulevard Michel.
Riche left his side of the table and examined the ring with Marcel.
"Please, mademoiselle," said Riche, "try and see whether the ring still possesses the power it had when you first showed it to me."
Violette acquiesced, and suggesting that they should adjourn to another room, they all followed suit.
"Now," said Violette, "if you will keep quite still I will see whether it will tell me anything."
All the party including the professor were standing round her. At length she raised her hand as if to command their attention.
"I see a lady and gentleman in a railway carriage all by themselves. The lady has dark hair and is very beautiful. She is wearing a lovely necklace carrying a large beautiful pendant—the couple are getting out. I see the name of the station—it is Agen. Yes, now they are entering the train once more—Oh! look—they are quarrelling. The man is shaking her terribly. Now they are fighting—Mon Dieu! but it is terrible. See he pulls out a pistol and has struck her with all his might on the temple—Ah! she has fallen down—he lifts her up—she is dead."
Payot, Riche and Marcel looked at one another horrified.
"Try whether you can see anything more," said Delapine quietly.