or
Switzerland must pass.

There remained, of course, the route via Dover by Ostend and through
Brussels; but I had been informed by you that Ludovic Tiler, my
colleague and coworker, was to undertake the inquiry on that line.

It is part of my business to be thoroughly familiar with the
Continental Bradshaw, and I soon ticked off the different trains that
interested me.

There was first the 11 A.M. from Victoria by Dover and
Calais, where it connected with the Paris express and the sleeping-car
Engadine express, both of which run through Amiens, where, however,
the latter branches off to Basle and beyond, with special cars for
Lucerne, Zurich and Coire.

Then came the 2.20 P.M. from Charing Cross to Folkestone, and
so to Boulogne, Amiens and the rest, travelling the same road as the
Engadine express. This was the last of the day service, as it gave
most time, allowing people to start at the very latest moment, and I
felt it quite probable that my lady would prefer to take it.

I reached Amiens a little before 5 P.M., and I had a wait of
half an hour for the first express from Calais. I was greatly
disappointed when at last it appeared issuing from the tunnel, and
passed me where I stood at the commencement of the platform, taking
stock of each carriage as it passed. The train seemed to be quite
empty; there were no passengers, so the officials, the conductors,
informed me when I talked to them, sad and unhappy at the certain loss
of tips. Only one of them had any luck, Jules l'Echelle, of the
Lucerne sleeping-car, who had one or two people on board.

I questioned him not very hopefully, but was agreeably surprised when
he told me that his clients consisted of two ladies with a child, and
one gentleman. English? Yes, all English. The lady, quite a lady, a
_grande dame belle personne_, tall, fine figure, well dressed; her
companion no doubt her servant; the child, well, an ordinary child, an
infant in arms. What would you?

I had them, I felt sure. There could be no mistaking this description.
I held them in the hollow of my hand. Here they were in this car, and
it would be all my own fault if they escaped me. It would be necessary
only to verify my conclusions, to identify the lady according to the
description and photograph given me. For the rest I knew what to do.

But now a quite unexpected difficulty turned up.

As I have said, there was one other passenger, a gentleman, in the
car, and I felt it would b