servant might
have aggravated it by setting his wits at work to find out my motive for
secrecy. So I said nothing, but passed by him with a nod. When the whole
circumstances came to light, I had reason to suppose that besides
his message to the inn-keeper, Bauer sent one of a character and to a
quarter unsuspected by me.

We stopped once again before reaching Wintenberg. I put my head out of
the window to look about me, and saw Bauer standing near the luggage
van. He ran to me eagerly, asking whether I required anything. I told
him "nothing"; but instead of going away, he began to talk to me.
Growing weary of him, I returned to my seat and waited impatiently for
the train to go on. There was a further delay of five minutes, and then
we started.

"Thank goodness!" I exclaimed, leaning back comfortably in my seat and
taking a cigar from my case.

But in a moment the cigar rolled unheeded on to the floor, as I sprang
eagerly to my feet and darted to the window. For just as we were
clearing the station, I saw being carried past the carriage, on the
shoulders of a porter, a bag which looked very much like mine. Bauer
had been in charge of my bag, and it had been put in the van under his
directions. It seemed unlikely that it should be taken out now by any
mistake. Yet the bag I saw was very like the bag I owned. But I was not
sure, and could have done nothing had I been sure. We were not to stop
again before Wintenberg, and, with my luggage or without it, I myself
must be in the town that evening.

We arrived punctual to our appointed time. I sat in the carriage a
moment or two, expecting Bauer to open the door and relieve me of my
small baggage. He did not come, so I got out. It seemed that I had few
fellow-passengers, and these were quickly disappearing on foot or in
carriages and carts that waited outside the station. I stood looking for
my servant and my luggage. The evening was mild; I was encumbered with
my hand-bag and a heavy fur coat. There were no signs either of Bauer or
of baggage. I stayed where I was for five or six minutes. The guard of
the train had disappeared, but presently I observed the station-master;
he seemed to be taking a last glance round the premises. Going up to him
I asked whether he had seen my servant; he could give me no news of
him. I had no luggage ticket, for mine had been in Bauer's hands; but I
prevailed on him to allow me to look at the baggage which had arrived;
my property was not