here left the train at 2.17 this afternoon. Telephonic
inquiry of police at Wels results that they left at 4.10 by the
express for Paris."

"I have already telegraphed to Paris," Fremy said. "But there is time, of
course, to get across to Paris, and meet the express from Constantinople
on its arrival there. Our friends evidently know their way about the
Continent!"

"Shall we go to Paris," I suggested eagerly, anticipating in triumph
their arrest as they alighted at the Gare de l'Est. I had travelled by
the express from Vienna on one occasion about a year before, and
remembered that it arrived in Paris about nine o'clock in the morning.

"With the permission of my chief I will willingly accompany you,
m'sieur," replied the detective, and, leaving me, he was absent for five
minutes or so, while I sat gazing around his bare, official-looking
bureau, where upon the walls were many police notices and photographs of
wanted persons, "rats d'hotel," and other malefactors. Brussels is one of
the most important police centres in Europe, as well as being the centre
of the political secret service of the Powers.

On his return he said:

"Bien, m'sieur. We leave the Midi Station at midnight and arrive in Paris
at half-past five. I will engage sleeping berths, and I will telephone to
my friend, Inspector Dricot, at the Prefecture, to send an agent of the
brigade mobile to meet us. Non d'un chien! What a surprise it will be for
the fugitives. But," he added, "they are clever and elusive. Fancy, in
order to go from Brussels to Paris they travel right away into Austria,
and with through tickets to Belgrade, too! Yes, they know the routes on
the Continent--the routes used by the international thieves, I mean. The
Wels route by which they travelled, is one of them."

Then I left him, promising to meet him at the station ten minutes before
midnight. I had told Edwards I would notify him by wire any change of
address, therefore, on leaving the Prefecture of Police, I went to the
Grand and from there sent a telegram to him at Scotland Yard, telling him
that I should call at the office of the inspector of police at the East
railway station in Paris at ten on the following morning--if he had
anything to communicate.

All through that night we travelled on in the close, stuffy _wagon-lit_
by way of Mons to Paris arriving with some three hours and a half to
spare, which we idled in one of the all-night cafes near the station,
ha