She took off the wraps with which she had covered her shoulders, before the mirror, so as to see herself once more in her glory. But suddenly she gave a cry. She no longer had the necklace around her throat! 62
Her husband, half undressed already, asked— 63
“What is the matter with you?” 64
She turned to him, terror-stricken:— 65
“I—I—I have not Mme. Forester’s diamond necklace!” 66
He jumped up, frightened— 67
“What? How? It is not possible!” 68
And they searched in the folds of the dress, in the folds of the wrap, in the pockets, everywhere. They did not find it. 69
He asked:— 70
“Are you sure you still had it when you left the ball?” 71
“Yes, I touched it in the vestibule of the Ministry.” 72
“But if you had lost it in the street, we should have heard it fall. It must be in the cab.” 73
“Yes. That is probable. Did you take the number?” 74
“No. And you—you did not even look at it?” 75
“No.” 76
They gazed at each other, crushed. At last Loisel dressed himself again. 77
“I’m going,” he said, “back the whole distance we came on foot, to see if I cannot find it.” 78
And he went out. She stayed there, in her ball dress, without strength to go to bed, overwhelmed, on a chair, without a fire, without a thought. 79
Her husband came back about seven o’clock. He had found nothing. 80
Then he went to police headquarters, to the newspapers to offer a reward, to the cab company; he did everything, in fact, that a trace of hope could urge him to.