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           ”

           Hepausedamoment,andCynthiainterrupted:

           “ButIshouldhavewokenupifanyonehadcomethroughmyroom?”

           “Notifyouweredrugged,mademoiselle.”

           “Drugged?”

           “Mais,oui!”

           “Youremember”—headdresseduscollectivelyagain—“thatthroughallthetumultandnoisenextdoorMademoiselleCynthiaslept.Thatadmittedoftwopossibilities.Eitherhersleepwasfeigned—whichIdidnotbelieve—orherunconsciousnesswasindeedbyartificialmeans.

           “Withthislatterideainmymind,Iexaminedallthecoffee-cupsmostcarefully,rememberingthatitwasMrs.CavendishwhohadbroughtMademoiselleCynthiahercoffeethenightbefore.Itookasamplefromeachcup,andhadthemanalysed—withnoresult.Ihadcountedthecupscarefully,intheeventofonehavingbeenremoved.Sixpersonshadtakencoffee,andsixcupsweredulyfound.Ihadtoconfessmyselfmistaken.

           “ThenIdiscoveredthatIhadbeenguiltyofaverygraveoversight.Coffeehadbeenbroughtinforsevenpersons,notsix,forDr.Bauersteinhadbeentherethatevening.Thischangedthefaceofthewholeaffair,fortherewasnowonecupmissing.Theservantsnoticednothing,sinceAnnie,thehousemaid,whotookinthecoffee,broughtinsevencups,notknowingthatMr.Inglethorpneverdrankit,whereasDorcas,whoclearedthemawaythefollowingmorning,foundsixasusual—orstrictlyspeakingshefoundfive,thesixthbeingtheonefoundbrokeninMrs.Inglethorp’sroom.

           “IwasconfidentthatthemissingcupwasthatofMademoiselleCynthia.