Mr. Sarrazin rose, with his plate in his hand and his fork ready
for action. He walked round the table to his friend's side, and
reverently transferred the neglected truffles to his own plate.
"Randal, you will live to repent this," he said solemnly. "In the
meantime, I am the gainer." Until he had finished the truffles,
no word fell from his lips. "I think I should have enjoyed them
more," he remarked, "if I had concentrated my attention by
closing my eyes; but you would have thought I was going to
sleep." He recovered his English nationality, after this, until
the dessert had been placed on the table, and the waiter was
ready to leave the room. At that auspicious moment, he underwent
another relapse. He insisted on sending his compliments and
thanks to the cook.

"At last," said Randal, "we are by ourselves--and now I want to
know why Catherine went to Germany."


Chapter XXIX.

Mr. Sarrazin.

As a lawyer, Randal's guest understood that a narrative of events
can only produce the right effect, on one condition: it must
begin at the beginning. Having related all that had been said and
done during his visit to the cottage, including his first efforts
in the character of an angler under Kitty's supervision, he
stopped to fill his glass again--and then astonished Randal by
describing the plan that he had devised for escaping from the
spies by crossing the lake in the fog.