ering me.

Then the two moved nearer us into the two central seats of the
compartment, for the convenience, as it proved, of talking to us.

Don Juan and I sat petrified with astonishment, whilst the elder man
spoke again. I knew him from the first moment he had opened his lips,
despite his disguise, to be the Duke of Rittersheim, or "Saumarez," as
he had called himself.

"Don Juan d'Alta," he began, "I know you very well, and I don't suppose
you have forgotten me."

"I know your voice, _Your Serene Highness_," responded the old Don,
with a distinct accentuation of the title.

"Very well," replied the Duke. "Then that knowledge will enlighten you
to the extent that you will be aware that I want something of you."

Don Juan made no reply.

"I want," proceeded the Duke, "the key of the steel safe which you
removed from 190 Monmouth Street, Bath, and sent to the Bank of
England. I want also an order from you to the directors of the Bank of
England, authorising them to give me access to the safe. My friend
here has writing materials."

My glance turned to Don Juan, who was contemplating the Duke with a
stony stare of contempt.

"You will get neither the key nor the order, sir," he replied.

The Duke shrugged up his shoulders.

"You will compel me, then, to take a certain course," he answered. "I
believe you have the key with you?"

He was right, the Don had it, but neither of us answered him.

"You will not answer," he proceeded. "Very well; silence gives
consent. I believe you have it.

"That being so, I give you five minutes by this watch to make up your
mind, Senor. At the conclusion of that period, we shall shoot you both
as I shot the German they have been making such a fuss about in Bath,
and take the key if you don't give it up. I have no doubt whatever I
can get some clever fellow to copy your writing and manufacture me an
order.

"At any rate, neither of you will be in a position to prevent me."

I confess that my blood ran cold at his words, as he took his watch out
with his left hand and laid it on the seat. All my visions of
happiness with Dolores seemed melting into shadows of grim death.

Don Juan, however, kept perfectly calm; there was scarcely a twitch on
his face as he answered, although the colour had fled from it.

"That is all very well, sir," he replied coolly; "but what are you
going to do with our bodies? You will be discovered, tried, and
executed."

The Duke laug