Accordingly, at the very next station, Virieu, I alighted. It was
still no more than 8.21. In less than an hour I was in the return
train and once more at Culoz, where, sending Philpotts to hide with
her charge in the inmost recesses of the ladies' waiting-room, I
vainly explored the station for any signs of Henriette, but to my
delight she was nowhere in sight. I was fairly entitled to suppose
that she had gone on.
The place was still in a turmoil, the consequences no doubt of the
affray expressly begun by Colonel Annesley to befriend me. I narrowly
escaped being seen by some of my enemies, but they were evidently too
much preoccupied by their indignation at the outrage put upon that
great personage, Lord Blackadder. I passed within an inch or two of my
gallant Colonel and was sorely tempted to speak to him, but was
deterred by the possible mischief it might entail.
I was relieved when they all took seats in the eastward bound train,
going only as far as Aix-les-Bains, where, as I heard it stated by the
Culoz officials, the case was to be submitted to the Commissary of
Police.
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