ed the _fin champagne_ from the glass which the Duke had
carefully filled, and took a cigarette from the box at his elbow.

"I found myself," he continued, "in the middle of a dense pine forest,
with just sufficient clearing for two lines of rails and no more. There
seemed to be nothing for me to do but to walk ahead in the direction
which the train had taken. I lit a pipe and started out all right, but I
very soon got tired. The sleepers were a long way apart, and the track
between frightfully rough. I walked for hours without seeing the
slightest sign of a station or a break in the woods, and finally I sat
down dead beat. My feet were all blisters, and I felt that I couldn't
walk another yard. Fortunately it was a warm night, and I made up my
mind to crawl under the bracken just inside the wood and go to sleep. I
found a comfortable place, and I'd just gone off when a noise close at
hand woke me. I sat up and looked around.

"Within a few feet of me an engine and a single carriage had pulled up.
At intervals along the line as far as I could see soldiers were
stationed like sentries. I could see that they were looking sharply up
and down, and even a little way into the wood. From the train three or
four men in long cloaks had already descended. They were standing in the
track talking together."

For the first time Monsieur Grisson interrupted. He took his cigar from
his mouth and leaned over towards the young Englishman.

"You were lost yourself. You did not accost them? Ask them the way
anywhere?"

"It seems odd, I suppose, that I didn't," Guy answered, "but do you know
there was an air of secrecy about the whole thing which rather
frightened me. And those soldiers had exactly the air of looking for
somebody to shoot. Anyhow, while I was hesitating what to do, there was
a whistle and another train came from the opposite direction. Then, of
course, I waited to see what was going to happen."

"And you saw?" the Duke began.

"I saw another single carriage arrive, more men in long cloaks and more
soldiers. There was a brief but hearty greeting between two men, who
seemed to be the principals in this little pantomime. Then they both got
into the train which had arrived first, and I could see them sitting at
a table talking, and a third man, who seemed to be a sort of secretary,
was writing all the time. In about half an hour they both stepped back
on to the line, and every one commenced shaking hands and saying
goo