'Good God!' he muttered, and stopped within a yard of me. I clung convulsively to the framework of the doorway. Our lives paused. 'Why have you followed me, Frank?' I asked gloomily, in a whisper. I had meant to be severe, offended. I had not meant to put his name at the end of my question, much less to utter it tenderly, like an endearment. But I had little control over myself. I was almost breathless with a fatal surprise, shaken with terrible emotion. 'I've not followed you,' he said. 'I joined the train at Paris. I'd no idea you were on the train till I saw you in the corner asleep, through the window of the compartment. I've been waiting here till you came out.' 'Have you seen the Vicarys?' 'Yes,' he answered. 'Ah! You've been away from London all this time?' 'I couldn't stay. I couldn't. I've been in Belgium and Holland. Then I went to Paris. And now--you see me.' 'I'm going to Mentone,' I said. 'I had thought of Monte Carlo first, but I changed my mind. Where are you going to?' 'Mentone,' he said. We talked in hard, strained tones, avoiding each other's eyes. A string of people passed along the car on their way to dinner. I withdrew into my compartment, and Frank flattened himself against a window. 'Come in here a minute,' I said, when they were gone. He entered the compartment and sat down opposite to me and lifted his hand, perhaps unconsciously, to pull the door to. 'No,' I said; 'don't shut it. Leave it like that.' He was dressed in a gray tourist suit. Never before had I seen him in any but the formal attire of London. I thought he looked singularly graceful and distinguished, even romantic, in that loose, soft clothing. But no matter what he wore, Frank satisfied the eye. We were both extremely nervous and excited and timid, fearing speech. 'Carlotta,' he said at last--I had perceived that he was struggling to a resolution--'this is the best thing that could have happened. Whatever we do, everybody will believe that we are running off together.' 'I think they have been believing that ever since we left London,' I said; and I told him about Miss Kate's treatment of me at lunch. 'But how can that affect us?' I demanded. 'Mary will believe it--does believe, I'm sure. Long before this, people will have enlightened her. And now the Vicarys have seen us, it's all over. Our hand is forced, isn't it?' 'Frank,' I said, 'didn't you think my letter was right?' 'I obeyed it,' he replied heavily. 'I haven't even written to you. I meant to when I got to Mentone.' 'But didn't you think I was right?' 'I don't know. Yes--I suppose it was.' His lower lip fell. 'Of course I don't want you to do anything that you--' 'Dinner, please,' said my negro, putting his head between us. We both informed the man that we should not dine, and I asked him to tell Yvonne not to wait for me. 'There's your maid, too,' said Frank. 'How are we going to get out of it? The thing's settled for us.'