Done with Bradshaw—sent off your wires?
Well, what's the next move?"
"I decline to hold any conversation with you," I began severely. "I beg you will not intrude upon my privacy.
I do not desire your acquaintance."
"Hoity toity!" he cried. "On your high horse, eh?
Aren't you afraid you may fall off or get knocked off?" and he raised his hand with an ugly gesture.
"We are not alone now in a railway carriage.
There are police about, and the Swiss police do not approve of brawling," I replied, with all the dignity I could assume.
"Come, Falfani, tell me what you mean to do now," he went on in the same tone.
"Your questions are an impertinence.
I do not know you. I do not choose to know you, and I beg you will leave me alone."
"Don't think of it, my fine fellow. I'm not going to leave you alone.
You may make up your mind to that.
Where you go, I go; what you do, I shall do.
We are inseparables, you and I, as much united as the Siamese twins.
So I tell you."
"But it's monstrous, it's not to be tolerated.
I shall appeal for protection to the authorities."
"Do so, my friend, do so.
See which will get the best of that.
I don't want to swagger, but at any rate all the world knows pretty well who I am; but what shall you call yourself, Mr. Falfani?"
"I have my credentials from my employers; I have letters, testimonials, recommendations from the best people."
"Including the Earl of Blackadder, I presume?
I admit your great advantages.
Well, try it.
You may get the best of it in the long run, but you'll lose a good deal of time.
I'm not in a hurry," he said with emphasis, and promptly recalled me to my senses, for I realized that I could not fight him that way.
It must be by stratagem or evasion.
I must throw dust in his eyes, put him off the scent, mislead, befool, elude him somehow.
How was I to shake him off now I saw that he was determined to stick to me? He had said it in so many words.
He would not let me out of his sight; wherever I went he was coming too.
The time was drawing on for the departure of the St. Gothard express at 9.8 a.m., and as yet I had no ticket.
I had booked at Amiens as far as Lucerne only, leaving further plans as events might fall out.
Now I desired to go on, but did not see how I was to take a fresh ticket without his learning my destination. He would be certain to be within earshot when I went up to the window.
I was beginning to despair when I saw Cook's man, who was, as usual, hovering about to assist travellers in trouble, and I beckoned him to approach.
"See that gentleman," I nodded towards the Colonel. "He wants you; do your best for him." And when the tourist agent proceeded on his mission to be accosted, I fear rather unceremoniously, I slipped off and hid out of sight.
I felt sure I was unobserved as I took my place in the crowd at the ticket-window, but when I had asked and paid for my place to Locarno I heard, to my disgust, some one else applying for a ticket to exactly the same place, and in a voice that was strangely familiar.
On looking round I saw Jules l'Echelle, the sleeping-car conductor, but out of uniform, and with an amused grin on his face.
"It seems that we are still to be fellow travellers," he observed casually.
"What is taking you to Lake Maggiore?
How about your service on the car?" I asked suspiciously.
"I have business at Locarno, and have got a few days' leave to attend to it."
I felt he was lying to me.
He had been bought, I was sure. His business was the Colonel's, who had set him to assist in watching me.
I had two enemies then to encounter, and I realized with some misgiving that the Colonel was not a man to be despised.
CHAPTER IX.
I secured a place with difficulty; there was rather a rush for the St. Gothard express when it ran in.
It was composed as usual of corridor carriages, all classes en suite, and I knew that it would be impossible to conceal the fact that I was on board the train.
Within five minutes Jules had verified the fact and taken seats in the immediate neighbourhood, to which he and the Colonel presently came.
"Quite a pleasant little party!" he said in a bantering tone. "All bound for Locarno, eh?