Finally, as regards the cord round my neck which the prosecution said left no traces and was quite loose, I will merely say that I myself stated that "the cord did not hurt when I did not move my head," and further that it was wound round my neck _over_ the cloth which covered my head. When that cloth, which formed a kind of pad at the neck, was removed, the cord of course slipped down and became loose.
As I have stated, my first thoughts on that dreadful morning of May 31st, 1908, was for my mother and my husband.
My next thought was: What has been stolen during the night?--for, I repeat it, I could not guess that a murder had been committed.
Here I must hasten to state a most important point in the events of that fatal night....
_One of the men of black gaberdines, the dark, tall man who stood near my bed when I was started out of my sleep, the only man who spoke--he had, or pretended to have, a foreign accent--the man who had asked for the money when he came near me a second time_ (for I had been left alone at one time with the horrible red-haired woman who pointed a revolver at my head), _that man, after the woman had said: "Now then, girl, tell us where the jewels are," asked me in a peremptory tone_. "AND WHERE ARE THE PEARLS AND THE PAPERS?" And I thought the man _knew_ who I was, although from his first question ("Where is your parents' money?") it was clear he took me for my daughter. I was more terrified than ever. I thought of the mysterious German, of my husband's reticence, and also of his indiscretions.... The man _knew_ I had those pearls, and knew about the documents!
When asked where the money was, I had pointed to the boudoir, close to the room where my mother slept. Afterwards the red-haired woman asked me where the jewels were. As I have stated before, quoting from the evidence I gave seven months after the murder to M. André, examining magistrate, "I dreaded to say that the jewels were in my mother's room (that is, in _my_ bedroom, where my mother slept), and that they were in the drawer of the wardrobe...." But, fearing to be killed, I said it, adding: "Don't kill me, and promise to kill no one." When the tall, dark man, with the foreign accent, asked me about "the pearls and the papers:" I said the pearls were with the other jewels, and the papers in the secret drawer of the desk....