“My train for Nice left Paris at ten in the morning.  When I travel at night I generally tell the chef de gare that I am a Queen’s Messenger, and he gives me a compartment to myself, but in the daytime I take whatever offers.  On this morning I had found an empty compartment, and I had tipped the guard to keep everyone else out, not from any fear of losing the diamonds, but because I wanted to smoke.  He had locked the door, and as the last bell had rung I supposed I was to travel alone, so I began to arrange my traps and make myself comfortable.  The diamonds in the cigar-case were in the inside pocket of my waistcoat, and as they made a bulky package, I took them out, intending to put them in my hand-bag.  It is a small satchel like a bookmaker’s, or those hand-bags that couriers carry.  I wear it slung from a strap across my shoulders, and, no matter whether I am sitting or walking, it never leaves me.

“I took the cigar-case which held the necklace from my inside pocket and the case which held the cigars out of the satchel, and while I was searching through it for a box of matches I laid the two cases beside me on the seat.

“At that moment the train started, but at the same instant there was a rattle at the lock of the compartment, and a couple of porters lifted and shoved a woman through the door, and hurled her rugs and umbrellas in after her.

“Instinctively I reached for the diamonds.  I shoved them quickly into the satchel and, pushing them far down to the bottom of the bag, snapped the spring-lock.  Then I put the cigars in the pocket of my coat, but with the thought that now that I had a woman as a travelling companion I would probably not be allowed to enjoy them.

“One of her pieces of luggage had fallen at my feet, and a roll of rugs had landed at my side.  I thought if I hid the fact that the lady was not welcome, and at once endeavored to be civil, she might permit me to smoke.  So I picked her hand-bag off the floor and asked her where I might place it.

“As I spoke I looked at her for the first time, and saw that she was a most remarkably handsome woman.

“She smiled charmingly and begged me not to disturb myself.  Then she arranged her own things about her, and, opening her dressing-bag, took out a gold cigarette-case.

“‘Do you object to smoke?’ she asked.

“I laughed and assured her I had been in great terror lest she might object to it herself.

“‘If you like cigarettes,’ she said, ’will you try some of these?  They are rolled especially for my husband in Russia, and they are supposed to be very good.’