"We must drop that Jack business, and speak in my language. And I have to be quick because it's nearly bedtime."
"You don't imagine for an instant I'm getting into any sleeping berth to-night surely! I couldn't sleep a wink. I want to do nothing but talk."
"All right, let it go at that;" and I began the long story. It is needless to say that her interest was acute. She was literally hungry for every detail and interrupted with innumerable questions, so that it took hours to tell, and I hadn't quite finished when we reached Hanover, where I broke off to get something for us to eat.
A number of officers and soldiers were on the platform there, many of whom stared pretty hard at me; surprised probably to see a man of military age in civilian clothes. I did not take any notice of them; but there was a rather unpleasant incident on my return to the carriage. A couple of officers were in hot altercation with the guard because he would not allow them to enter our compartment.
They grumbled, declaring there was no room anywhere else; but he stood his ground, and in the end they went off in just such a rage as one might expect Prussian officers to show.
Nessa was greatly relieved to see them go, and as soon as the train started we commenced our meal.
"I'm only a nervy idiot," she said; "for I declare I was awfully scared and couldn't help thinking they knew about the tickets. Do you really believe von Gratzen didn't know you took them?"
"I'm absolutely fluster-bustered about it. Sometimes I thought he knew I was a fraud; sometimes that he didn't; he acted both ways, and——"
"But that von Welten was at the station," she broke in.
"Evidently he knew I had them, but must have thought old Gratz gave them to me. He said he had come to make sure I had planted the ring on von Erstein, all right. Otherwise, he'd have stopped us; but he actually asked where you were. It knocked me bang over."