“In that case, Mr. Carter, I hope she never will return,” Mrs. Lord said gravely. “I am much surprised. I would not have thought it.”
“Have you missed anything from the house?”
“I have not, sir. I now see, however, that a brush and comb which I loaned her are gone from the dressing stand.”
“H’m! Is that so?”
“She may have taken them by accident when packing her trunk.”
Nick did not reply. Instead, turning to Patsy, he said:
“Raise both curtains, Patsy, as high as they will go.”
Then, dropping on his hands and knees, Nick began a sharp scrutiny of the carpet and a rug near the dressing stand, much to the amazement of the waiting woman.
For more than ten minutes he continued this inspection, and at times using a lens and picking something from the floor. When he arose he had between his fingers several black hairs, some quite long, which evidently had dropped from Pauline Perrot’s brush or comb. He inclosed them in his notebook, which he then replaced in his pocket.
“Now, Mrs. Lord, I am going to take away these few[Pg 13] garments Miss Perrot left here,” Nick informed her. “Here is my card. If any inquiries are made, which is entirely improbable, you may refer the person to me.”