elf, for he took it for granted that no woman could
have struck Schroeder senseless with a single blow; but on every man he
directed the severest scrutiny.

Even if the name had been checked by the Captain or purser on the list
he held in his hand, he never failed to satisfy himself by a few
questions; and the unfortunate possessors of the names before which a
cross appeared had reason to remember that interrogation all their
lives. With some three or four of them, the interrogation was continued
in private and even extended to a search of their belongings and a
scrutiny of every document in their possession; but, while some of them
were forced to confess at last that they were adventurers, gamblers,
with only such means of livelihood as their wits procured them, there
was nothing to show that any of them was the agent of any government.

All day Saturday the examination was continued, and by dinner-time the
first-class list was completed, much to the relief of the passengers,
who came away from the interrogation with ruffled tempers and a feeling
of humiliation. All sorts of rumours were afloat among them. There was
an absconder on board, a murderer, a political refugee, an eloping
couple--the customs authorities had got wind of the fact that there was
a celebrated smuggler on board, and every passenger was to be searched
when he reached the pier--the rumours ran the gamut of all crimes and
all scandals, and made every one extremely uncomfortable, but none of
them touched the truth.

And Pachmann had to confess himself, thus far, defeated. There remained
the second-class, and he determined to scrutinise it even more closely
than he had the first. The thought that he might fail, after all,
dismayed him. To fail meant disgrace--personal, irremediable disgrace;
it meant the betrayal of his Emperor; worse than that, in his failure
France would triumph! He trembled with anguish--not wholly for himself,
for he was a brave man and a patriot--but for his Fatherland.

So Saturday evening came, and with it the hour of the second conference.

* * * * *

For the other personages of this story, those two days had been rather
eventless ones. The weather continued fine and the great ship ploughed
steadily westward. The passengers got to know each other; little cliques
were formed, centring about mutual acquaintances; there were
card-parties, dances, the inevitable concert, dinners in the cafe, the