indow as the train moved away from
the station. "Henri, you're a wizard, a conjuror, a most mysterious
and clever individual. 'Pon my word, I looked at you as you boarded
the train, and if I'd been a German official, one of these
thick-headed, beer-drinking tubs of fellows, always on the look-out for
aliens and enemies, I'd have failed to spot you."

"Magnificent!" ventured Jules, rubbing his hands and moving his limbs
in a most unladylike fashion, in such masculine manner, in fact, that
the cautious Henri, ever on the look-out for something which might
attract the attention of enemies swarming about them, immediately
pounced upon him.

"That's not right," he said; "no girl would sit like that, Jules, and
you know it. Indeed, who should know it better than you, who, up to
the outbreak of this war, were a regular lady's man? You've studied
the fair sex, my boy, and now's the time to take advantage of that
study."

Stuart guffawed. The whole adventure was so droll, so full of little
incidents which tickled his mirth and which prompted laughter, that it
was as much as he could do to keep his big, healthy features steady.
And, seeing that they were in a compartment by themselves, why not make
merry? For during the last two hours their actions had had to be
serious enough in all conscience, and, indeed, the big Englishman spoke
only the truth when he said that Henri had behaved like a perfect
wizard. Stumbling down the platform, that ridiculously small Homberg
hat only partially covering thin wisps of white hair--artificially
whitened, let us explain, with the aid of some chalk--upon a head which
if it were not bald, looked as if it ought to be so, Henri had acted
the role of a feeble, querulous, short-sighted, and somewhat arrogant
old gentleman to the life. He had snarled at his daughter--or his
wife, whichever Jules was supposed to be, and, from the obvious youth
of the young lady, probably she was the former. He had snapped at the
big, beefy attendant who came behind him, and, reaching the train and
making an effort to clamber aboard it--a none too easy performance on
Continental railways--he had stumbled even more, had contrived to get
into a position half-within and half-without the carriage, and had
there stuck firmly, become jammed, as it were, a position which roused
the wrath of the old gentleman still higher, which set him snarling at
his lady companion, and caused him to throw a fiery imprecation at h