ince it is after midnight.
The train for Berlin _via_ Dresden, I have discovered, leaves here at a
quarter past six. Do you think you can manage to be ready so early?"

"Of course I can," she answered confidently. "You have only to tell me
what you want and I will do it."

"I have come to the conclusion," I said, "that it will not do for us to
leave by the city station. Accordingly, I have arranged that a cab shall
be waiting for us in the Platz. We will enter it and drive down the
line, board the train, and bid farewell to Pharos for good and all."

Ten minutes later I had said good night to her and had retired to my
room. The clocks of the city were striking two as I entered it. In four
hours we should be leaving the house to catch the train which we hoped
would bring us freedom. Were we destined to succeed or not?

CHAPTER XV.

So anxious was I not to run any risk of being asleep at the time we had
arranged to make our escape that I did not go to bed at all, but seated
myself in an armchair and endeavoured to interest myself in a book until
the fateful hour arrived. Then, leaving a note upon my dressing-table,
in which was contained a sufficient sum to reimburse the landlord for my
stay with him, I slipped into one pocket the few articles I had resolved
to carry with me, and taking care that my money was safely stowed away
in another, I said good-bye to my room and went softly down the stairs
to the large hall. Fortune favoured me, for only one servant was at work
there, an elderly man with a stolid, good-humoured countenance, who
glanced up at me, and, being satisfied as to my respectability,
continued his work once more. Of Valerie I could see no sign, and since
I did not know where her room was situated I occupied myself, while I
waited, wondering what I should do if she had overslept herself and did
not put in an appearance until too late. In order to excuse my presence
downstairs at such an early hour, I asked the man in which direction the
cathedral lay, and whether he could inform me at what time early mass
was celebrated.

He had scarcely instructed me on the former point and declared his
ignorance of the latter, before Valerie appeared at the head of the
stairs and descended to meet me, carrying her violin case in her hand. I
greeted her in English, and after I had slipped a couple of florins into
the servant's hand, we left the hotel together and made our way in the
direction of the Platz, whe