her mind. "Oh, I wonder--it would be much better--I wonder if you
could do me a favour? It _would_ be such a relief to tell an English
person about it."

"An American," he corrected. "But perhaps that would do as well. I
hope it is not another runaway bicycle?"

"But it just _is_ another runaway expedition--though not a bicycle,"
said the girl, and thereupon poured into his ears the story of Alice
Meynell and her woes.

At first he laughed, and said she was in danger of becoming quite an
accomplished plotter; but, as the story went on, he grew grave.

"It is a mad idea, Miss Britton," he said. "I am sorry you are mixed
up in the matter. Would it not have been better for you to write to
the girl's father and tell him all this?"

Barbara looked vexed.

"How silly of me!" she exclaimed. "Do you know, I never thought of
that; and, of course, it would have been quite simple. It _was_
foolish!"

"Never mind now," he said consolingly, seeing how downcast she looked.
"I am sure it must have been difficult to decide; and now that the
enterprise is fairly embarked on, we must carry it through as well as
possible. I think the station here would be one of the first places
they would send to when they found she had gone; but we can cycle to
the next one and send the machines back by train--she will be so much
sooner out of St. Servan."

Barbara agreed gratefully. She was glad that there would be no need
for the dark cupboard, and felt much happier now that the immediate
carrying out of the plan was in some one else's hands. So she fixed an
approximate hour for the "Pretender" to be ready next day, and then
said good-bye.

"I will postpone my call on Mademoiselle Loire till another time," he
remarked. "I only hope that nothing will prevent that terrible young
lady of yours getting off to-morrow."

"I hope not," sighed Barbara. "She may not even manage to get to the
baths at all. If so, we'll have to think of something else."

"_Komm Tag, komm Rat_," he said cheerily, as he turned away. "Perhaps
we may yet want the cupboard."

Barbara hoped not, although Jean was greatly disappointed when he heard
of the alteration in the plans, and the only way the girl could console
him was by telling him that, if ever she wanted to hide, she would
remember the cupboard, which, she thought was a very safe promise!

CHAPTER XIII.

THE ESCAPE.

The following day was damp and dark, and the weather showed no sig