"'Quite.'
"Then, confronting me, 'You are an American?'
"'You are right.'
"'And have your passport with you?'
"I drew it from my pocket, and handed it to him. He glanced at the signature, refolded it, and said:—
"'You took the Countess Smolensk! to the station this morning. Where did you meet her?'
"'On the train yesterday leaving Venice.'
"'Never before?'
"'Never.'
"'Why did she not leave Venice earlier?'