arily dull company to-day," said Vendale. "I don't know
what has been the matter with me."

"You had no sleep last night; and a kind of brain-congestion frequently
comes, at first, of such cold," said Obenreizer. "I have seen it often.
After all, we shall have our journey for nothing, it seems."

"How for nothing?"

"The House is at Milan. You know, we are a Wine House at Neuchatel, and
a Silk House at Milan? Well, Silk happening to press of a sudden, more
than Wine, Defresnier was summoned to Milan. Rolland, the other partner,
has been taken ill since his departure, and the doctors will allow him to
see no one. A letter awaits you at Neuchatel to tell you so. I have it
from our chief carrier whom you saw me talking with. He was surprised to
see me, and said he had that word for you if he met you. What do you do?
Go back?"

"Go on," said Vendale.

"On?"

"On? Yes. Across the Alps, and down to Milan."

Obenreizer stopped in his smoking to look at Vendale, and then smoked
heavily, looked up the road, looked down the road, looked down at the
stones in the road at his feet.

"I have a very serious matter in charge," said Vendale; "more of these
missing forms may be turned to as bad account, or worse: I am urged to
lose no time in helping the House to take the thief; and nothing shall
turn me back."

"No?" cried Obenreizer, taking out his cigar to smile, and giving his
hand to his fellow-traveller. "Then nothing shall turn _me_ back. Ho,
driver! Despatch. Quick there! Let us push on!"

They travelled through the night. There had been snow, and there was a
partial thaw, and they mostly travelled at a foot-pace, and always with
many stoppages to breathe the splashed and floundering horses. After an
hour's broad daylight, they drew rein at the inn-door at Neuchatel,
having been some eight-and-twenty hours in conquering some eighty English
miles.

When they had hurriedly refreshed and changed, they went together to the
house of business of Defresnier and Company. There they found the letter
which the wine-carrier had described, enclosing the tests and comparisons
of handwriting essential to the discovery of the Forger. Vendale's
determination to press forward, without resting, being already taken, the
only question to delay them was by what Pass could they cross the Alps?
Respecting the state of the two Passes of the St. Gotthard and the
Simplon, the guides and mule-drivers differed greatly; and