He seemed to know the ways of Alexandrowo, and the formalities to be
observed at the frontier, but he was not eager to betray his knowledge.
He obeyed with a silent patience the instructions of the white-aproned,
black-capped porter who had a semi-official charge of him. He made no
attempt to escape an examination of his luggage, and he avoided the
refreshment-room tea.
Cartoner glanced at the man, whose appearance would seem to indicate
that he was a fellow-countryman, and made sure that he did not know him.
Then he looked at him again, and the other happened to turn his profile.
Cartoner recognized the profile, and drew away to the far corner of
the examination-room. But they drifted together again--or, perhaps, the
younger man made a point of approaching. It was, at all events, he who,
when all had been marshalled into the refreshment-room, drew forward a
chair and sat down at the table where Cartoner had placed himself.
He ordered a cup of coffee in Russian, and sought his cigarette-case. He
opened it and laid it on the table in front of Cartoner. He was a fair
young man, with an energetic manner and the clear, ruddy complexion of a
high-born Briton.
"Englishman?" he said, with an easy and friendly nod.
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