第35部分(第3/7 頁)

ehind　there；〃　demurred　Van　Aldin。

〃Ah！　I　am　ing　to　that。　We　have　Mrs　Kettering's　own　evidence　there；　but；　on　the　other　hand；　we　have　not　really　got　her　evidence；　because；　Monsieur　Van　Aldin；　a　dead　woman　cannot　give　evidence。　It　is　not　her　evidence；　but　the　evidence　of　the　conductor　of　the　train　…　a　very　different　affair　altogether。〃

〃So　you　think　the　man　was　lying？〃

〃No；　no；　not　at　all。　He　spoke　what　he　thought　to　be　the　truth。　But　the　woman　who　told　him　that　she　had　left　her　maid　in　Paris　was　not　Mrs　Kettering。〃

Van　Aldin　stared　at　him。

〃Monsieur　Van　Aldin；　Ruth　Kettering　was　dead　before　the　train　arrived　at　the　Gare　de　Lyon。　It　was　Ada　Mason；　dressed　in　her　mistress's　very　distinctive　clothing；　who　purchased　a　dinner　basket　and　who　made　that　very　necessary　statement　to　the　conductor。〃

〃Impossible！〃

〃No；　no；　Monsieur　Van　Aldin；　not　impossible。　Les　femmes；　they　look　so　much　alike　nowadays　that　one　identifies　them　more　by　their　clothing　than　by　their　faces。　Ada　Mason　was　the　same　height　as　your　daughter。　Dressed　in　that　very　sumptuous　fur　coat　and　the　little　red　lacquer　hat　jammed　down　over　her　eyes；　with　just　a　bunch　of　auburn　curls　showing　over　each　ear；　it　was　no　wonder　that　the　conductor　was　deceived。　He　had　not　previously　spoken　to　Mrs　Kettering；　you　remember。　True；　he　had　seen　the　maid　just　for　a　moment　when　she　handed　him　the　tickets；　but　his　impression　had　been　merely　that　of　a　gaunt；　black…clad　female。　If　he　had　been　an　unusually　intelligent　man；　he　might　have　gone　so　far　as　to　say　that　mistress　and　maid　were　not　unlike；　but　it　is　extremely　unlikely　that　he　would　even　think　that。　And　remember；　Ada　Mason；　or　Kitty　Kidd；　was　an　actress；　able　to　change　her　appearance　and　tone　of　voice　at　a　moment's　notice。　No；　no；　t