same instant which gave the Princess Zichy the chance she wanted to
rob me.

"I needn't say that she was clever enough to take it. The train ran
into the station at full speed and came to a sudden stop. I had just
thrown my coat into the rack, and had reached out my hand for the bag.
In another instant I would have had the strap around my shoulder. But
at that moment the Princess threw open the door of the compartment and
beckoned wildly at the people on the platform. 'Natalie!' she called,
'Natalie! here I am. Come here! This way!' She turned upon me in the
greatest excitement. 'My maid!' she cried. 'She is looking for me. She
passed the window without seeing me. Go, please, and bring her back.'
She continued pointing out of the door and beckoning me with her other
hand. There certainly was something about that woman's tone which made
one jump. When she was giving orders you had no chance to think of
anything else. So I rushed out on my errand of mercy, and then rushed
back again to ask what the maid looked like.

"'In black,' she answered, rising and blocking the door of the
compartment. 'All in black, with a bonnet!'

"The train waited three minutes at Aries, and in that time I suppose I
must have rushed up to over twenty women and asked, 'Are you Natalie?'
The only reason I wasn't punched with an umbrella or handed over to
the police was that they probably thought I was crazy.

"When I jumped back into the compartment the Princess was seated where
I had left her, but her eyes were burning with happiness. She placed
her hand on my arm almost affectionately, and said in a hysterical
way, 'You are very kind to me. I am so sorry to have troubled you.'