At five o’clock in the afternoon we were at another station, Nia, where General Pevtsoff established a meterological observatory.  Here we stopped only twenty minutes.  I had time to lay in a few provisions at the bar.  For whom they were intended you can imagine.

The passengers we picked up were only Chinese, men and women.  There were only a few for the first class, and these only went short journeys.

We had not started a quarter of an hour when Ephrinell, with the sferious manner of a merchant intent on some business, came up to me on the gangway.

“Monsieur Bombarnac,” he said, “I have to ask a favor of you.”

Eh!  I thought, this Yankee knows where to find me when he wants me.

“Only too happy, I can assure you,” said I.  “What is it about?”

“I want you to be a witness—­”

“An affair of honor?  And with whom, if you please?”

“Miss Horatia Bluett.”

“You are going to fight Miss Bluett!” I exclaimed, with a laugh.

“Not yet.  I am going to marry her.”

“Marry her?”

“Yes! a treasure of a woman, well acquainted with business matters, holding a splendid commission—­”

“My compliments, Mr. Ephrinell!  You can count on me—­”

“And probably on M. Caterna?”

“He would like nothing better, and if there is a wedding breakfast he will sing at your dessert—­”

“As much as he pleases,” replied the American.  “And now for Miss Bluett’s witnesses.”

“Quite so.”

“Do you think Major Noltitz would consent?”

“A Russian is too gallant to refuse.  I will ask him, if you like.”

“Thank you in advance.  As to the second witness, I am rather in a difficulty.  This Englishman, Sir Francis Trevellyan—­”

“A shake of the head is all you will get from him.”

“Baron Weissschnitzerdoerfer?”

“Ask that of a man who is doing a tour of the globe, and who would never get through a signature of a name of that length!”

“Then I can only think of Pan-Chao, unless we try Popof—­”

“Either would do it with pleasure.  But there is no hurry, Mr. Ephrinell, and when you get to Pekin you will have no difficulty in finding a fourth witness.”

“What! to Pekin?  It is not at Pekin that I hope to marry Miss Bluett!”

“Where, then?  At Sou Tcheou or Lan Tcheou, while we stop a few hours?”

“Wait a bit, Monsieur Bombarnac!  Can a Yankee wait?”

“Then it is to be—­”

“Here.”

“In the train?”

“In the train.”

“Then it is for me to say, Wait a bit!”

“Not twenty-four hours.”

“But to be married you require—­”

“An American minister, and we have the Reverend Nathaniel Morse.”

“He consents?”

“As if he would not!  He would marry the whole train if it asked him!”

“Bravo, Mr. Ephrinell!  A wedding in a train will be delightful.”