uffed at it
with obvious pleasure.

"Monsieur is doubtless a great traveller," he remarked, urbanely. "For
me a journey such as this is an event--a wonderful event. Not once in
many years do I leave my people. Monsieur will be amused, but it is
indeed ten years since I found myself in a railway train."

Ughtred was reserved, but the priest was quite willing to bear
the brunt of the conversation so long as he had a listener. It
appeared that he was on his way to visit his brother, who was a
prosperous merchant in Belgrade. And monsieur?--if he were not too
inquisitive--should he have the pleasure of his company all the way?

Ughtred hesitated for the fraction of a second. Reist was passing
along the corridor with imperturbable face, but with his cap in his
hand--an agreed upon sign of danger. So Ughtred, to whom a lie was as
poison, braced himself for the effort.

"I go even farther than you," he declared. "My journey is not ended at
Constantinople."

The priest's fat face was wrinkled into smiles. It was most
fortunate--his own good fortune. For himself he was so unaccustomed to
travel that he found it impossible to read. He was excited--besides,
it gave him the headache. To converse only was possible. But after all
he had no right to inflict himself thus upon monsieur. He had perhaps
affairs to attend to--or he desired to sleep? Ughtred, who found it
impossible to suspect this fat, simple-mannered man so shabbily
dressed, so wrapped in enjoyment of his bad cigar, smiled, and shook
his head. They drifted into conversation. Ughtred learned the entire
village history of Baineuill, and was made acquainted with the names
and standing of each of its inhabitants from Jean the smith to
Monsieur le Comte, who was an infidel, and whose house-parties were as
orgies of the evil one.

"And monsieur," the priest asked, ingenuously, "monsieur is perhaps a
soldier? I have talked so long of my own poor affairs. It must be
tedious."

Just then Reist and Brand passed along the corridor, laughing
heartily. Brand paused, and with a bow to the priest held out a paper
to Ughtred.

"Read that, Brand!" he exclaimed. "These papers are the drollest in
the world."

Ughtred looked up puzzled, but took the paper held out insistently
towards him. At the bottom of an illustration were a few pencilled
words.

"Be careful! Remember! You are W. B. The priest has been asking
questions about us!"

Ughtred read, and smiled. The priest lean