senger, for, in spite of the sudden
shutting of the door by the Russian, she caught a glimpse of the man
lying face downwards on the floor of his stifling room. She also had
received a whiff of the sweet, heavy gas which had been used, that
seemed now to be tincturing the whole atmosphere of the car, especially
in the long narrow passage. It was not likely they intended to kill
the man, for his death would cause an awkward investigation, while his
statement that he had been rendered insensible might easily be denied.
As she sat there, the silence disturbed only by the low, soothing rumble
of the train, she heard the ring of the metal cylinder against the
woodwork of the next compartment. The men were evidently removing
their apparatus. A little later the train slowed, finally coming to a
standstill, and looking out of the window into the darkness, she found
they were stopping at an ill-lighted country station. Covering the light
in the ceiling again, the better to see outside, herself, unobserved,
she noted the conductor and another man place the bulky cylinder on the
platform, without the slightest effort at concealment. The tall Russian
stood by and gave curt orders. An instant later the train moved on
again, and when well under way there was a rap at her door. When she
opened it, the conductor said that he would make up her berth now, if it
so pleased her. She stood out in the corridor while this was deftly
and swiftly done. She could not restrain her curiosity regarding the
mysterious occupant of Room A, and to satisfy it she walked slowly up
and down the corridor, her hands behind her, passing and repassing the
open door of her room, and noticing that ever and anon the conductor
cast a suspicious eye in her direction.

The door of Room A was partly open, but the shaded lamp in the
ceiling left the interior in darkness. There was now no trace of the
intoxicating gas in the corridor, and as she passed Room A she noticed
that a fresh breeze was blowing through the half open doorway, therefore
the window must be up. Once as she passed her own door she saw the
conductor engaged in a task which would keep him from looking into the
corridor for at least a minute, and in that interval she set her
doubts at rest by putting her head swiftly into Room A, and as swiftly
withdrawing it. The man had been lifted on to his sofa, and lay with his
face towards the wall, his head on a pillow. The despatch-box rested on
a corner of th