"That'll do very well," Eaton answered in the same pleasant voice.
As the porter now took his bags, Eaton followed him out of the car.
Connery looked around the sleeper; then, having allowed a moment to
pass so that he would not too obviously seem to be following Eaton, he
went after them into the next car. He expected, rather, that Eaton
would at once identify himself to him as the passenger to whom
President Jarvis' short note had referred. Eaton, however, paid no
attention to him, but was busy taking off his coat and settling himself
in his section as Connery passed.
The conductor, willing that Eaton should choose his own time for
identifying himself, passed slowly on, looking over the passengers as
he went. The cars were far from full.
Besides Eaton, Connery saw but half a dozen people in this car: the
Englishman in Section Four; two young girls of about nineteen and
twenty and their parents--uninquisitive-looking, unobtrusive,
middle-aged people who possessed the drawing-room; and an alert,
red-haired, professional-looking man of forty whose baggage was marked
"D. S.--Chicago." Connery had had nothing to do with putting Eaton in
this car, but his survey of it gave him satisfaction; if President
Jarvis inquired, he could be told that Eaton had not been put near to
undesirable neighbors. The next car forward, perhaps, would have been
even better; for Connery saw, as he entered it, that but one of its
sections was occupied. The next, the last Pullman, was quite well
filled; beyond this was the diner. Connery stood a few moments in
conversation with the dining car conductor; then he retraced his way
through the train. He again passed Eaton, slowing so that the young
man could speak to him if he wished, and even halting an instant to
exchange a word with the Englishman; but Eaton allowed him to pass on
without speaking to him. Connery's step quickened as he entered the
next car on his way back to the smoking compartment of the observation
car, where he expected to compare sheets with the Pullman conductor
before taking up the tickets. As he entered this car, however, Avery
stopped him.
"Mr. Dorne would like to speak to you," Avery said. The tone was very
like a command.
Connery stopped beside the section, where the man with the spectacles
sat with his daughter. Dorne looked up at him.
"You are the train conductor?" he asked, seeming either unsatisfied of
this by Connery's presence or merely desirous of a formal answer.
"Yes, sir," Connery replied.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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