Violette looked once more at the ring.
"Yes, I see the man opening the carriage door—they are entering a tunnel—he has pushed the lady out of the carriage—she has fallen on to the line. Now he shuts the carriage door and sits down. Ah, it is fading away—yes, it is gone, I see nothing more."
All the party looked at Violette and her ring.
"Can you describe the man?" enquired Delapine.
"Yes, he had shiny curly hair, and a small beard and whiskers."
"Did the lady look like this?" said Delapine, showing the photograph he took in the salon the day before.
"Yes, I recognise her at once by the necklace and pendant," said Violette.
He rang the bell and asked the garçon to fetch him a time-table.
"It is now about half-past one," said the professor taking out his watch, "and as there is no stoppage between Agen and Bordeaux, it is evident that Bordeaux is his destination. Bordeaux is the port from which steamers sail for South America and the West Indies. South America is one of the few spots in the world which the arm of the law cannot easily reach, therefore it is most probable that he intends going there."
"Waiter," he said, "fetch me the Continental Bradshaw. That will give the time of sailings of the various ships."