caught sight of M. Plumet struggling to attract my attention. I stopped
the cab, and a smile of satisfaction spread over M. Plumet's countenance.
He stepped off the refuge. I opened the cab-door. But a brougham
passed, and the horse pushed me back into the cab with his nose. I
opened the door a second time; another brougham came by; then a third;
finally two serried lines of traffic cut me off from M. Plumet, who kept
shouting something to me which the noise of the wheels and the crowd
prevented me from hearing. I signalled my despair to M. Plumet. He rose
on tiptoe. I could not hear any better.

Five minutes lost! Impossible to wait any longer! Besides, who could
tell that it was not a trap to prevent my departure, though in friendly
guise? I shuddered at the thought and shouted:

"Gare de Lyon, cabby, as fast as you can drive!"

My orders were obeyed. We got to the station to find the train made up
and ready to start, and I was the last to take a ticket.

I suppose M. Plumet managed to escape from his refuge.


GENEVA.

On my arrival I found, keeping order on the way outside the station, the
drollest policeman that ever stepped out of a comic opera. At home we
should have had to protect him against the boys; here he protects others.

Well, it shows that I am really abroad.