ieur the
Inspector," going to the next carriage and reading the label: "look at
that. There are the innocent conspirators calmly seated in the
compartment. The ladies themselves have done this. I was wrong in saying
it was an enemy, for are we not all friends of the lovelier sex? But
take my word for it, they are the culprits. Remark how unconscious they
look; one sees it is too natural to be real--it is assumed. Poor ladies!
They are nervous, perhaps, and want a safeguard about them during the
perilous night journey. Or it may be that they even like smoking. After
all, it is an innocent little ruse on their part to attain a very
harmless end."

"Innocent, sir! harmless!" cried the outraged and perplexed inspector.
"We will see!"

He approached the compartment, threw wide the door, addressed the ladies
severely, as became his office, but tempered with respect and
admiration, as became a man.

"How is this, ladies?" to the startled women. "Allow me to inform you
that it is not _convenable_ for members of your sex to deliberately
compose themselves for the night in a compartment labelled _For
Smokers_."

"What!" cried the ladies in a breath. "_For Smokers?_ _Quel horreur!_
Monsieur the Inspector, you must be mad, or you have dined too
well--_l'un ou l'autre_. _For Smokers!_ Why, we are horrified at smoke.
It makes me cough, it makes my companion sneeze, it gets into our hair,
it ruins our complexion. Monsieur the Inspector," shaking out their
ruffled plumage, "this is an infamous accusation. We feel ourselves
insulted. We shall appeal to the Chef de Gare. You had better at once
say that we have done this thing ourselves, whilst the culprits are no
doubt those three young men who are laughing behind your back. You have
attacked our reputation and we will pursue the matter. When we entered
this compartment it was labelled _For Ladies Only_, and if you will
examine the plaque with sober senses you will find it still reads _For
Ladies Only_."

"Mesdames," returned the bewildered inspector, "I will trouble you to
alight and read for yourselves. No one shall accuse me of dining too
well with impunity; and no one, not even such charming women as
yourselves, shall exact an apology for an offence never committed."

Apparently there was nothing else for it. The ladies gracefully
alighted, assisted by the gallant but uncompromising inspector, and the
fatal words stared them in the face.

"But it is conjuring, it is a mirac