Not ten minutes had elapsed, however, when a knock came at the
door of the sick-room, and a summons--could Madame come at
once? Madame cast a look at her charge; he was perfectly still
and quiet, sleeping profoundly apparently; there could be no
harm in leaving him for a moment. She went, intending to
return immediately; but, alas! for human intentions,
downstairs she found a commotion that drove M. Linders, M. le
Docteur, and everything else out of her head for the time
being. Madame la Comtesse _au premier_ had lost her diamond
ring--her ring, worth six thousand francs, an heirloom, an
inestimable treasure; lost it? it had been stolen--she knew it,
felt convinced of it; she had left it for five minutes on her
dressing-table whilst she went to speak to some dressmaker or
milliner, and on her return it had vanished. Unpardonable
carelessness on her part, she admitted, but that did not alter
the fact; it had been stolen, and must be found; house,
servants, visitors, luggage, all must be searched and
ransacked. Where were the gendarmes? let all these people be
taken into custody at once, pointing to the group of startled,
wondering, servants,--let everyone be taken into custody.
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