to him my misfortune, and asked him his advice.
"Seriously," I said, "I do not reckon on your
assistance in recovering my lost property. You
have, of course, your own special sphere of
duty. I cannot be so unreasonable as to expect
you to travel out of your own particular round,
but if——"

At this point he rudely twitched my ticket
from my fingers, "snipp'd" it with the favourite
instrument of his profession, and departed
growling what I now believe to be a volley of
profane and horrible oaths. I looked after him
from the window, and saw him pointing to my
carriage in conversation with a brother of the
cloth (of the Lincoln green cloth), whose beard
suggested also two black carding-machines.
They were both laughing and growling
together—a curious instance of that combination of
drollery and low humour which I have found in
foreign nations. I could not forbear smiling
and nodding good naturedly at them in return,
in order to promote the good feeling which
should subsist between inhabitants of different
countries.

We started to a blast of the horn of the Robin
Hood guard. Alone in my compartment, I
thought of my situation. In an hour I should
meet her, the Idol, face to face; she lovely, fresh,
fair, radiant; I unkempt, draggled, dishevelled,
generally awry and tumbled, and in a state of
ruin. The prospect was terrible. In an absent
and reflective way I passed my hand over my
chin, and became conscious of a rude rasping
feel, that spoke volumes of personal degradation.
At that moment I had a perfect consciousness
of the squalor, as I may term it, of my
personal appearance.

Stay! I recollected I had with me a portable
leather dressing-case, which rolled up flat,
like a convenient surgical instrument-case. It
could be carried in the pocket or in the
bosom. It was in the bosom at that moment.
Blessed device! Happy forethought! I had
seen a diagram of the apparatus in Mr.
Bradshaw's useful Guide, and had promptly secured
it. It contained a glass, a pincushion, a pair of
scissors, a penknife, razors, and a little pot of
soap. What could be simpler? I could not
restore the beauty of my wearing apparel; but
as to the personal squalor, here was a dressing-
room with no one to intrude on my
privacy.

It was raining heavily. I put back my collar
leisurely, I bared my throat, I took out the
portable razor and felt its keen edge, I took out
the portable glass and took a hasty glance. I
was shocked at the change which one night's
suffering had wrought. Eyes bloodshot and
strained, cheeks wan and haggard, mouth drawn
down: the whole, with the effect of the throat
bare, giving a wild haggard air difficult to
describe. With a sigh I put by the glass, and, in
a musing, absent fashion, began to whet my
razor on my hand. I would hold the little pot
of soap outside the window to catch the natural
moisture, and then (still whetting my razor)——

I heard a guttural cry! The Red Beard was
at the window gesticulating. I stopped in
amazement. In an instant he had the door open
and was beside me. I had forgotten that on
these foreign lines the guards have unrestricted
access to every part of the train even when in
motion. It is impossible to describe the savage
unaccountable manner of the man. He even
rudely caught hold of my arm and tried to seize
the useful article I was preparing for my toilette.
I was amazed at his incomprehensible behaviour,
and remonstrated in my own tongue without
effect. He continued his horrid guttural
language, and actually shut up my razor and put it
in his pocket. I remonstrated with him calmly,
still in my own tongue, but without effect. At
last it all flashed upon me. I was violating one
of the established rules of the company by
converting one of their carnages into a dressing-
room. I could not forbear smiling at my own
stupidity at not guessing this before, and I
assumed a gentler tone.

As we were approaching a station, he got up
and left me, taking with him my property. I
remonstrated (in my own tongue), but ineffectually.
The value of the article was, in a money
point of view, contemptible, but, at that
moment, it was to me beyond all price. Without
it I was helpless, stranded, hideous. He
sternly refused to restore it, and even locked
both doors upon me. When the train started
again, I was conscious of the view being
suddenly darkened, and of two figures—Black
Beard and Red Beard—looking in upon me
steadily. Red Beard was pointing me out to
his fellow. Presently Red Beard came in, and
sat down beside me. I again demanded my
property. He shook his head. I tried to
express contrition, if in my ignorance of the
manners and customs of a foreign country I had
outraged any of their regulations. He again
shook his head. His behaviour was getting
most mysterious. What did he mean? Perhaps
he had designs on other articles of mine;
possibly my purse. The lonely carriage, my helpless
condition, everything favoured his nefarious
purpose. Instantly an idea flashed upon me.
I would not submit further to this degrading
espionage. I would "descend," to use their
own phrase, at the first convenient station,
privily and secretly withdraw into a private
waiting or refreshment room, and finish my
personal decoration.

He had to depart presently, to gather up his
tickets. Odious Red Beard! I watched my
opportunity when his back was turned, opened
the door very softly, and crept out. But in an
instant he emerged from a buffet, where I
believe he had been imbibing some artificial
stimulant, rushed at me, called to Black Beard,
who was inside, also I believe engaged with some
stimulant, and they both rushed at me. In a
second they had seized me by each arm, and had
forced me back into the carriage, discharging
oaths and profane language which shocked me.
Mysterious, unaccountable behaviour! What
could they mean? No matter; at the next
responsible station I would lay the whole case