"It looks like it," said Guerchard.
"It must be," said the Duke. "This is interesting—if only we could get an absolute proof."
"We shall get one presently," said Guerchard confidently.
"It is interesting," said the Duke in a tone of lively enthusiasm. "These clues—these tracks which cross one another—each fact by degrees falling into its proper place—extraordinarily interesting." He paused and took out his cigarette-case: "Will you have a cigarette?" he said.
"Are they caporal?" said Guerchard.
"No, Egyptians—Mercedes."
"Thank you," said Guerchard; and he took one.
The Duke struck a match, lighted Guerchard's cigarette, and then his own:
"Yes, it's very interesting," he said. "In the last quarter of an hour you've practically discovered that the burglars came from Charmerace—that they were the Charolais—that they came in by the front door of this house, and carried the furniture out of it."
"I don't know about their coming in by it," said Guerchard. "Unless I'm very much mistaken, they came in by the front door of M. Gournay-Martin's house."
