the other whispered to him had reference to myself. I did not, however, the more hesitate to answer for the ladies.
“Sir,” replied the officer to this pledge, “in the first place I must request you to answer for yourself. The robber, who is now in question, thrust something into your hand before he disappeared. What was it?”
The word robber, emphatically pronounced, filled me with terror. It was probably the same then with whom I left the diligence, and I was right in my suspicions of his occupation. Eloisa, too, owing to this cursed whim of her aunt’s, had fallen into a doubtful connexion. My presence of mind was completely gone; so much the more keenly the Frenchman eyed me. In silence I gave him the box, and my increasing confusion, as I related to him the adventure with the blind man, augmented his suspicion. Nothing but some extraordinary good fortune could prevent him sending us to prison, seeing that we were perfect strangers. This extraordinary good fortune really did occur: Wagen came up to us, and, learning what
