"With all my heart," cried the Colonel. "We'll refer it to any one you please. Lead on, mon brave, only you must take all or none. I insist upon that. It is my right; let us all go before the Commissary."
"There is no Commissary here in Culoz. You must travel to Aix-les-Bains to find him. Fifteen miles from here."
"Well, why not? I'm quite ready," assented the Colonel, with an alacrity I did not understand. I began to think he had some game of his own.
"So am I ready," cried his lordship. "I desire most strongly to haul this hectoring bully before the law, and let his flagrant misconduct be dealt with in a most exemplary fashion."
I caught a curious shadow flitting across my comrade Tiler's face at this speech. He evidently did not approve of my lord's attitude. Why?
I met his eye as soon as I could, and, in answer to my inquiring glance, he came over to me and whispered:
"Don't you see? He," jerking his finger toward the Colonel, "wants us to waste as much time as possible, while my lady slips through our fingers and gets farther and farther on her road."
"Where is she?"
"Ah, where? No longer here, anyway."