Don Luis rose and handed the officer a white-paper packet:

“Here’s a few sandwiches for you, captain,” he said. “We’ve an arduous night before us. I’m very sorry that you didn’t get a sleep, as I did. Let’s be off, and this time I shall drive. We’ll knock some pace out of her! Come and sit beside me, captain.”

They both stepped into the car; the chauffeur took his seat behind them. But they had hardly started when Patrice exclaimed:

“Hi! What are you up to? Not this way! We’re going back to Mantes or Paris!”

“That’s what I mean to do,” said Luis, with a chuckle.

“Eh, what? Paris?”

“Well, of course!”

“Oh, look here, this is a bit too thick! Didn’t I tell you that the two bargees . . . ?”

“Those bargees of yours are humbugs.”

“They declared that the cargo . . .”