{"product_id":"2940013332423","title":"The Passenger from Calais","description":"CHAPTER I.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e[_Colonel Annesley's Story_]\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe crossing from Dover to Calais had been rough; a drizzling rain\u003cbr\u003efell all the time, and most of the passengers had remained below.\u003cbr\u003eStrange to say, they were few enough, as I saw on landing. It was a\u003cbr\u003eSunday in late July, and there ought to have been a strong stream\u003cbr\u003esetting towards Central Europe. I hardly expected to find much room in\u003cbr\u003ethe train; not that it mattered, for my place was booked through in\u003cbr\u003ethe Lucerne sleeping-car of the Engadine express.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRoom! When I reached the siding where this train de luxe was drawn up,\u003cbr\u003eI saw that I was not merely the first but the only passenger. Five\u003cbr\u003esleeping-cars and a dining-car attached, with the full staff,\u003cbr\u003eattendants, chef, waiters--all lay there waiting for me, and me\u003cbr\u003ealone.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Not very busy?\" I said, with a laugh to the conductor.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"_Parbleu_,\" replied the man, polyglot and cosmopolitan, like most of\u003cbr\u003ehis class, but a Frenchman, or, more likely from his accent, a Swiss.\u003cbr\u003e\"I never saw the like before.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"I shall have a compartment to myself, then?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Monsieur may have the whole carriage if he wishes--the whole five\u003cbr\u003ecarriages. It is but to arrange.\" His eyes glistened at the prospect\u003cbr\u003eof something special in this obvious scarcity of coming tips.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"The train will run, I hope? I am anxious to get on.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"But assuredly it will run. Even without monsieur it would run. The\u003cbr\u003ecarriages are wanted at the other end for the return journey. Stay,\u003cbr\u003ewhat have we here?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWe stood talking together on the platform, and at some little distance\u003cbr\u003efrom the railway station, the road to which was clear and open all the\u003cbr\u003eway, so that I could see a little party of four approaching us, and\u003cbr\u003edistinguish them. Two ladies, an official, probably one of the guards,\u003cbr\u003eand a porter laden with light luggage.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs they came up I discreetly withdrew to my own compartment, the\u003cbr\u003ewindow of which was open, so that I could hear and see all that\u003cbr\u003epassed.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Can we have places for Lucerne?\" It was asked in an eager, anxious,\u003cbr\u003ebut very sweet voice, and in excellent French.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Places?\" echoed the conductor. \"Madame can have fifty.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"What did I tell madame?\" put in the official who had escorted her.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"I don't want fifty,\" she replied, pettishly, crossly, \"only two. A\u003cbr\u003eseparate compartment for myself and maid; the child can come in with\u003cbr\u003eus.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNow for the first time I noticed that the maid was carrying a bundle\u003cbr\u003ein her arms, the nature of which was unmistakable. The way in which\u003cbr\u003eshe swung it to and fro rhythmically was that of a nurse and child.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"If madame prefers, the maid and infant can be accommodated apart,\"\u003cbr\u003esuggested the obliging conductor.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut this did not please her. \"No, no, no,\" she answered with much\u003cbr\u003easperity. \"I wish them to be with me. I have told you so already; did\u003cbr\u003eyou not hear?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"_Parfaitement_, as madame pleases. Only, as the train is not\u003cbr\u003efull--very much the reverse indeed--only one other passenger, a\u003cbr\u003egentleman--no more--\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe news affected her strangely, and in two very different ways. At\u003cbr\u003efirst a look of satisfaction came into her face, but it was quickly\u003cbr\u003esucceeded by one of nervous apprehension, amounting to positive fear.\u003cbr\u003eShe turned to talk to her maid in English, while the conductor busied\u003cbr\u003ehimself in preparing the tickets.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"What are we to do, Philpotts?\" This was said to the maid in English.\u003cbr\u003e\"What if it should be--\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Oh, no, never! We can't turn back. You must face it out now. There is\u003cbr\u003enothing to be afraid of, not in that way. I saw him, the gentleman, as\u003cbr\u003ewe came up. He's quite a gentleman, a good-looking military-looking\u003cbr\u003eman, not at all the other sort--you know the sort I mean.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNow while I accepted the compliment to myself, I was greatly mystified\u003cbr\u003eby the allusion to the \"other sort of man.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"You think we can go on, that it's safe, even in this empty train? It\u003cbr\u003ewould have been so different in a crowd. We should have passed\u003cbr\u003eunobserved among a lot of people.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"But then there would have been a lot of people to observe us; some\u003cbr\u003eone, perhaps, who knew you, some one who might send word.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"I wish I knew who this passenger is. It would make me much easier in\u003cbr\u003emy mind. It might be possible perhaps to get him on our side if he is\u003cbr\u003eto go with us, at least to get him to help to take care of our\u003cbr\u003etreasure until I can hand it over. What a burden it is! It's terribly\u003cbr\u003eon my mind. I wonder how I could have done it. The mere thought makes\u003cbr\u003eme shiver. To turn thief! Me, a common thief!\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Stealing is common enough, and it don't matter greatly, so long as\u003cbr\u003eyou're not found out. And you did it so cleverly too; with such a\u003cbr\u003enerve.","brand":"SAP","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47079489339632,"sku":"2940013332423","price":0.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940013332423_p0.jpg?v=1763579516","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940013332423","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}