he station came to
overlook my traps? Strange, considering what I have gone through."

At this moment the knuckles of a hand beat against the door.

"Come in!" answered the Englishman, wheeling his chair, but making no
effort to rise. "Come in!"

The door swung in, and there entered a short, spectacled man in dark
gray clothes which fairly bristled with brass buttons. He was the chief
inspector of customs. He bowed.

The Englishman, consternation widening his eyes, lowered his pipe.

"Monsieur Hamilton's pardon," the inspector began, speaking in French,
"but with your permission I shall inspect your luggage and glance at
your passports." He bowed again.

"Now do you know, mon ami," replied the Englishman, "that Monsieur
Hamilton will not permit you to gaze even into yonder washbowl?" He rose
lazily.

"But, Monsieur," cried the astonished official, to whom non-complaisance
in the matter of inspection was unprecedented, "you certainly will not
put any obstacle in the path of my duty!"

"Your duty, Monsieur the Spectacles, is to inspect at the station.
There your assistants refused to award me their attention. You are
trespassing."

"Monsieur forgets," sternly; "it is the law. Is it possible that I shall
be forced to call in the gendarmes to assist me? This is extraordinary!"

"I dare say it is, on your part," admitted the Englishman, polishing the
bowl of his pipe against the side of his nose. "You had best go at once.
If you do not, I shall take you by the nape of your Bleibergian neck and
kick you down the stairs. I have every assurance of my privileges.
The law here, unless it has changed within the past hour, requires
inspection at the frontier, and at the capital; but your jurisdiction
does not extend beyond the stations. Bon jour, Monsieur the Spectacles;
bon jour!"

"O, Monsieur!"

"Good day!"

"Monsieur, it is my duty; I must!"

"Good day! How will you go, by the stairs or by the window? I--but
wait!" an idea coming to him which caused him to reflect on the possible
outcome of violence done to a government official, who, perhaps, was
discharging his peculiar duty at the orders of superiors. He walked
swiftly to the door and slid the bolt, to the terror of the inspector,
on whose brow drops of perspiration began to gather. "Now," opening the
hat box and taking out a silk hat, "this is a hat, purchased in Paris
at Cook's. There is nothing in the lining but felt. Look into the
box; nothing. Take ou