When M. Folgat questioned her, she answered in very fair, intelligible French, which was only marred by her strong English accent,--"I stayed four years at the house in Vine Street; and I should be there still, but for the war. As soon as I entered upon my duties, Ibecame aware that I was put in charge of a house in which two lovers had their meetings. I was not exactly pleased, because, you know, we have our self-respect; but it was a good place. I had very little to do, and so I staid. However, my master mistrusted me: I saw that very clearly. When a meeting was to take place, my master sent me on some errand to Versailles, to Saint Germain, or even to Orleans. This hurt me so much, that I determined I would find out what they tried so hard to conceal from me. It was not very difficult; and the very next week I knew that my master was no more Sir Francis Burnett than I was; and that he had borrowed the name from a friend of his."
"How did you go about to find it out?"
"Oh! very simply. One day, when my master went away on foot, Ifollowed him, and saw him go into a house in University Street. Before the house opposite, some servants were standing and talking. I asked them who the gentleman was; and they told me it was the son of the Marquis de Boiscoran."
"So much for the master; but the lady."
Suky Wood smiled.
"As for the lady," she replied, "I did the same thing to find her out.
It cost me, however, a great deal more time and a great deal more patience, because she took the very greatest precautions; and I lost more than one afternoon in watching her. But, the more she tried to hide, the more I was curious to know, as a matter of course. At last, one evening when she left the house in her carriage, I took a cab and followed her. I traced her thus to her house; and next morning Italked to the servants there, and they told me that she was a lady who lived in the province, but came every year to Paris to spend a month with her parents, and that her name was Countess Claudieuse."
And Jacques had imagined and strongly maintained that Suky would not know any thing, in fact, could not know any thing!
"But did you ever see this lady?" asked M. Folgat.
"As well as I see you."
"Would you recognize her?"
"Among thousands."
"And if you saw her portrait?"
"I should know it at once."
M. Folgat handed her the album.
"Well, look for her," he said.
She had found the likeness in a moment.
"Here she is!" cried Suky, putting her finger on the photograph.
There was no doubt any longer.
"But now, Miss Suky," said the young advocate, "you will have to repeat all that before a magistrate."
"I will do so with pleasure. It is the truth."
"If that is so, they will send for you at your lodgings, and you will please stay there till you are called. You need not trouble yourself about any thing. You shall have whatever you want, and they will pay you your wages as if you were in service."