"Where did this man get into the train?"
"At Plevna, I believe."
"Did he talk about anything in particular?"
"About roses mostly. He said he did not believe there could be war with Serbia. He spoke very bitterly against Germany."
Sylvia answered many more questions in favor of her fellow-traveler. The colonel talked for a few moments in Serbian to his assistants; presently a grubby-looking peasant was brought in, at whom the colonel shouted a number of questions, the answers to which seemed to reduce him to a state of nervous despair. One of the officers retired and came back with the Bulgarian rose-grower; after a great deal of talking the peasant was sent away and Rakoff's passport was handed back to him.
"Je suis libre?" asked the Bulgarian, looking round him.
The colonel bowed stiffly.
"This lady has spoken of your horticultural passion," said Hazlewood, looking at Rakoff straight in the eyes.
"Je suis infiniment reconnaissant," the Bulgarian murmured, with a bow. Then he saluted the company and went out.
"I daren't precipitate the situation," the colonel told Hazlewood. "He must leave Nish at once, but if he tries to alight before the Greek frontier, he can always be arrested."