s premature, to put it mildly? Or
were the German generals really convinced that they would sweep every
obstacle from their path, and hammer their way into Paris on a fixed
date? Dalroy thought of England, and sighed, because his mind turned
first to the army--barely one hundred thousand trained men. Then he
remembered the British fleet, and the outlook was more reassuring!

After a night of fitful sleep dawn found the travellers not yet
half-way. The four Germans were furious. They held staff appointments,
and had been assured in Berlin that the clock-work regularity of
mobilisation arrangements would permit this particular train to cover
the journey according to schedule. Meals were irregular and scanty. At
one small town, in the early morning, Dalroy secured a quantity of rolls
and fruit, and all benefited later by his forethought.

Newspapers bought _en route_ contained dark forebodings of England's
growing hostility. A special edition of a Hanover journal spoke of an
ultimatum, a word which evoked harsh denunciations of "British
treachery" from the Germans. The comparative friendliness induced by
Dalroy's prevision as a caterer vanished at once. When the train rolled
wearily across the Rhine into Cologne, ten hours late, both Dalroy and
the girl were fully aware that their fellow-passengers regarded them as
potential enemies.

It was then about six o'clock on the Tuesday evening, and a loud-voiced
official announced that the train would not proceed to Aix-la-Chapelle
until eight. The German officers went out, no doubt to seek a meal; but
took the precaution of asking an officer in charge of some Bavarian
troops on the platform to station a sentry at the carriage door.
Probably they had no other intent, and merely wished to safeguard their
places; but Dalroy realised now the imprudence of talking English, and
signed to the girl that she was to come with him into the corridor on
the opposite side of the carriage.

There they held counsel. Miss Beresford was firmly resolved to reach
Brussels, and flinched from no difficulties. It must be remembered that
war was not formally declared between Great Britain and Germany until
that evening. Indeed, the tremendous decision was made while the pair
so curiously allied by fate were discussing their programme. Had they
even quitted the train at Cologne they had a fair prospect of reaching
neutral territory by hook or by crook. But they knew nothing of Liege,
and the imperis