t seemed almost as though he slept. For me there was
no thought of rest or sleep. I made plans only to discard them,
rehearsed speeches, appeals, threats, only to realize their hopeless
ineffectiveness. And underneath it all was a dull constant pain, the
pain which stays.

Our journey was about three-parts over when Feurgeres suddenly sat up in
his seat, and opening his dressing-case, drew out a Continental
timetable.

"In a sense that station-master was right," he remarked, turning over
the leaves. "We shall not reach Paris any the sooner for taking this
special train. On the other hand, we shall have time to ascertain in
Dover whether our friends really have gone on to Calais, or whether they
by any chance changed their minds and took the Ostend boat. I sincerely
trust that that course will not have presented itself to them."

"Why?" I asked.

"Somewhere on the journey," he remarked, "they must pause. They will
have to exchange Isobel for the Princess Adelaide, and make their plans
for the disposal of Isobel. If they should do this, say, in Brussels, we
shall be at a great disadvantage. If, however, they should stay in
Paris, we should be in a different position altogether. The chief of the
police is my friend. I am known there, and can command as good service
as the Archduchess herself. We must hope that it will be Paris. If so,
we shall arrive--let me see, six hours behind them; but supposing they
do break their connection, we shall have still five hours in Paris with
them before they can get on. If they are cautious they will go to
Illghera _via_ Brussels and their own country. If, however, they do not
seriously regard the matter of pursuit they will go direct."

A few moments later we came to a standstill in the town station.
Feurgeres let down the window, and talked for a few minutes with the
station-master. Then he resumed his seat.

"We will go on to the quay," he said. "It is almost certain that our
friends left by the Paris boat. We shall have four hours to wait, but we
can secure our cabins, and perhaps sleep."

We moved slowly on to the quay. A few enquiries there completely assured
us. Midway across the Channel, plainly visible still, was a disappearing
green light.

"That's the _Marie Louise_, sir," a seaman told me. "Left here five and
twenty minutes ago. The parties you were enquiring about boarded her
right enough. The young lady had almost to be carried. She's the new
turbine boat, and she o