"But I am not wrong. I have still another charge against the count,
of which I haven't spoken, but which seems to be conclusive."
"Oh," cried the doctor, "what now?"
"Two certainties are better than one, and I always doubt. When I
was left alone a moment with Francois, the valet, I asked him if
he knew exactly the number of the count's shoes; he said yes, and
took me to a closet where the shoes are kept. A pair of boots,
with green Russia leather tops, which Francois was sure the count
had put on the previous morning, was missing. I looked for them
carefully everywhere, but could not find them. Again, the blue
cravat with white stripes which the count wore on the 8th, had also
disappeared."
"There," cried M. Plantat, "that is indisputable proof that your
supposition about the slippers and handkerchief was right."
"I think that the facts are sufficiently established to enable us
to go forward. Let's now consider the events which must have
decided--"
M. Lecoq again stopped, and seemed to be listening. All of a sudden,
without a word he jumped on the window-sill and from thence into the
garden, with the bound of a cat which pounces on a mouse.
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