me, and I think I'm a match for him."

I spoke this confidently to my friend, who engaged for his part to do
all in his power to assist, or at least to do nothing against me, and
I was content to bide my time. Pride goes before a fall. I was not as
clever as I thought, and shall have to tell you how seriously I had
underrated his worth in the coming trial of strength.

As the train sped on and the night began to close in on us, I remained
quietly in my berth, pondering over my position, and in considering
the course I should adopt under various contingencies. The first and
most serious danger was that the lady should succeed in leaving the
train at any of the intermediate stations at Basle, and so give me
the slip. There were Laon, Rheims, Chaumont, and the rest.

It must be my business to keep close watch against any evasion of this
kind, and Jules had promised to help. I did not look for any such
attempt until far into the night, when the stations were empty and
half-dark, and I agreed with Jules to divide the hours till daylight,
he taking the first, I the last. We were due at Basle at 5 A.M., and I
expected to join forces then with Tiler, my colleague, coming from the
side of Ostend, via Brussels and Strasburg.

Meanwhile I kept quiet and made no sign beyond showing that I was
there and on the spot ready to act if it should be necessary. Thus,
when the train slackened speed on approaching a station, I was always
on the move and the first to descend and patrol the platform. The
Colonel always got out too, but he never accosted me; indeed, he
seemed disposed to despise me, to ignore my existence, or dare me to
the worst I could do.

I suppose the lady must have been of the same mind, for when
dinner-time arrived, she came boldly out of her compartment, and I met
her face to face for the first time, on her way to the restaurant. I
was standing at the door of my compartment.

"Dinner is ready," the Colonel said to me significantly, but I did not
choose to understand, and shook my head, holding my ground.

"You are coming to dinner, I think," he repeated in a sharp commanding
way, as if he were talking to his soldiers.

"I shall please myself about that," I replied gruffly.

"Not a bit of it. One moment," he whispered to the lady, who walked
on, and turned again to me: "Now see here, my friend, I do not mean to
leave you behind. You will come to the dining-car with us, and no two
ways about it, even if I have t