THE MAN IN SPECTACLES.
to France for my lunch; but I am delighted to have someone to lunch with me. You see, I had to send that beast, the Marquis, over with his bomb, because the President had his eye on me, though God knows how. I'll tell you the story some day. It was perfectly choking. Whenever I tried to slip out of it I saw the President somewhere, smiling out of the bow-window of a club, or taking off his hat to me from the top of an omnibus. I tell you, you can say what you like, that fellow sold himself to the devil; he can be in six places at once."
"So you sent the Marquis off, I understand," asked the Professor. "Was it long ago? Shall we be in time to catch him?"
"Yes," answered the new guide, "I've timed it all. He'll still be at Calais when we arrive."
"But when we do catch him at Calais," said the Professor, "what are we going to do?"
At this question the countenance of Dr. Bull fell for the first time. He reflected a little, and then said—
"Theoretically, I suppose, we ought to call the police."
185
