The three women were silent. Suzanne lowered her head, lest she should betray her emotion. At last, Marthe, who had no suspicions, but who was worrying her head about Philippe's falsehood, resumed:
"At what time did you come in last night?"
"At a quarter to eleven."
"And you went to bed at once?"
"At once."
"Then how is it that your bed has not been touched?"
Philippe gave a start. The question took his breath away. Instead of inventing some pretext or other, he stammered, guilelessly:
"Oh, so you went in ... you saw ..."
He had not thought of this detail, nor, for that matter, of any of those which might make his story appear to clash with the facts; and he no longer knew what to say.
Suzanne suggested: