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two possibilities. Either her sleep was feigned--which I did not believe--or
her unconsciousness was indeed by artificial means.
"
With this latter idea in my mind, I examined all the coffee-cups most
carefully, remembering that it was Mrs. Cavendish who had brought
Mademoiselle Cynthia her coffee the night before. I took a sample from each
cup, and had them analysed--with no result. I had counted the cups
carefully, in the event of one having been removed. Six persons had taken
coffee, and six cups were duly found. I had to confess myself mistaken.
"
Then I discovered that I had been guilty of a very grave oversight. Coffee
had been brought in for seven persons, not six, for Dr. Bauerstein had been
there that evening. This changed the face of the whole affair, for there was
now one cup missing. The servants noticed nothing, since Annie, the
housemaid, who took in the coffee, brought in seven cups, not knowing that
Mr. Inglethorp never drank it, whereas Dorcas, who cleared them away the
following morning, found six as usual--or strictly speaking she found five,
the sixth being the one found broken in Mrs. Inglethorp's room.
"
I was confident that the missing cup was that of Mademoiselle Cynthia. I
had an additional reason for that belief in the fact that all the cups found
contained sugar, which Mademoiselle Cynthia never took in her coffee. My
attention was attracted by the story of Annie about some 'salt' on the tray of
coco which she took every night to Mrs. Inglethorp's room. I accordingly
secured a sample of that coco, and sent it to be analysed."
"But that had already been done by Dr. Bauerstein," said Lawrence quickly.
"
Not exactly. The analyst was asked by him to report whether strychnine
was, or was not, present. He did not have it tested, as I did, for a narcotic."
"For a narcotic?"
"
Yes. Here is the analyst's report. Mrs. Cavendish administered a safe, but
effectual, narcotic to both Mrs. Inglethorp and Mademoiselle Cynthia. And it
is possible that she had a mauvais quart d'heure in consequence! Imagine
her feelings when her mother-in-law is suddenly taken ill and dies, and
immediately after she hears the word 'Poison'! She has believed that the
sleeping draught she administered was perfectly harmless, but there is no
doubt that for one terrible moment she must have feared that Mrs.
Inglethorp's death lay at her door. She is seized with panic, and under its
influence she hurries downstairs, and quickly drops the coffee-cup and
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