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 pleased with myself to find the guard looking in at me with a curious smile-on-the-face-of-the-tiger sort of expression. There was no mistaking the fact that he had seen what I had done. I had to say something.

'Oh, guard,' I said sweetly, 'do you think I shall be quite safe travelling in this carriage all alone?' 'But you won't be alone, miss, there's two other ladies coming in here,' he replied, still with that same amused smile. He really was rather a nice-looking guard.

'Oh no, there isn't,' I said, smiling back at him. 'See, there's no other berth reserved except mine.'

'That's strange,' he said, putting his head in at the window and looking round; 'I'd swear I put three names in here.' He brought out a plan from his pocket and consulted it. I looked at that plan as a prisoner must look at a witness who is giving incriminating evidence against him.

'Yes,' he said, reading out the names. 'Mrs. and Miss Cardew. I thought so.' We looked at one another for the fraction of a second. 'I must have forgotten to put their names up,' he said smiling. 'I'll go and fetch some more cards.'

He was actually moving away. 'Guard,' I called in my sweetest voice. Then I drew back. Ermyntrude was stolidly making