"Pardon, monsieur, I cannot find it."

"That is absurd. Where do you keep it? Look again--search--I must have
it."

The porter shook his head hopelessly.

"It is gone, monsieur, and my pocket-book."

"But your papers, the tickets--"

"Everything was in it, monsieur. I must have dropped it."

Strange, very strange. However--the fact was to be recorded, for the
moment. He could of course return to it.

"You can give me the names of the passengers?"

"No, monsieur. Not exactly. I cannot remember, not enough to
distinguish between them."

"_Fichtre_! But this is most devilishly irritating. To think that I have
to do with a man so stupid--such an idiot, such an ass!"

"At least you know how the berths were occupied, how many in each, and
which persons? Yes? You can tell me that? Well, go on. By and by we will
have the passengers in, and you can fix their places, after I have
ascertained their names. Now, please! For how many was the car?"

"Sixteen. There were two compartments of four berths each, and four of