On examining it Ralph discovered that the chest had been deftly sawn through all the way round then replaced and glued on. He unglued it.

The violin only contained a bundle of old newspapers. They made it clear that either the Countess had hidden her fortunes somewhere else or that the Count, having discovered its hiding-place, was peaceably enjoying the income of which she had wished to rob him.

“Defeated all along the line!” growled Ralph. “This girl with the green eyes is beginning to get on my nerves! And she refused to touch my hand, confound her! What? Is she really furious with me for having stolen a kiss? To the devil with the little prude!” [[96]]

[[Contents]]

CHAPTER V

THE ST. BERNARD

For the rest of the week, not knowing where to renew the struggle, Ralph read very carefully the reports in the newspapers describing the triple murder on the express. There is no point in treating at full length events which have become stale in the public mind, or the theories that were advanced, or the mistakes that were made, or the clues that were followed. This affair, which has remained such a profound mystery and which at the time excited the extravagant interest of the whole world, is of no interest to-day except by reason of the part that Arsène Lupin played in it and of the degree in which he helped to bring about the discovery of the truth which we are at last able to establish with absolute certainty. There is no point therefore in bothering about trivial details and in throwing light on facts of secondary importance.

Moreover Ralph perceived quickly enough the limits within which the results of the enquiry were confined and he made a careful note of them in order to classify the facts, to select those of importance, and to eliminate those of no importance. [[97]]

These notes ran:

“1. The third confederate, that is to say the brute from whom I delivered the girl with the green eyes, keeping in the shadow and no one even guessing at his existence, it came about that, in the eyes of the police, it was the unknown passenger, that is to say myself, who was the instigator of the affair. At the evident suggestion of Marescal, whom my detestable maneuvers with regard to myself must have strongly prejudiced against me, I am transformed into a diabolical and omnipotent personage, who planned the coup and dominated the whole of the drama. Apparently a victim of my confederates, bound and gagged, I direct their actions, watch over their safety, and vanish into the darkness without leaving my trace except my footprints.