I should here explain that although I had studied the French language as part of my education, I found it impossible to speak French with any fluency or understand it when spoken.  My newly-made friend, however (for friend she proved herself), spoke French and English with equal fluency.

In the process of comparing notes (so familiar to all travelers) mention was made of the recent war and the unwonted strictness and severity of the custom-house officials.  In an instant my hand was upon my pocket-book, only to find that I had neglected to take my passport from my valise.

The embarrassment of the situation flashed upon me, and my troubled countenance revealed to my companion that something unusual had occurred.  I answered her inquiring look by saying that I had left my passport in Geneva.  Her immediate sympathy was only equaled by her evident alarm.  She said there was but one thing to be done—­return instantly for it.  I fully agreed with her, but found, to my dismay, upon consulting a guide-book, that our train was an express, which did not stop before reaching Belgarde, the frontier-town.

I would willingly have pulled the bell-rope had there been any, and stopped the train at any cost, but it was impossible, and nothing remained but to sit quietly while I was relentlessly hurried into the very jaws of the French officials.  The misery of the situation was aggravated by the fact that I could not command enough French to explain how I came to be traveling without a passport.  As a last resort, I applied to my friend, begging her to explain to the officer at the custom-house that I was a citizen of the United States, and had left my passport in Geneva.  This she readily promised to do, although I could see that she had but little faith in the result.  After a ride of an hour, during which my reflections were none of the pleasantest, we arrived at Belgarde.  Here the doors of the railway carriages were thrown open, and we were politely requested to alight.  We stepped out upon a platform swarming with fierce gendarmes, whom I regarded attentively, wondering which of them was destined to become my protector.  From the platform we were ushered into a large room communicating by a narrow passage with a second room, into which our baggage was being carried.  One by one my fellow-passengers approached the narrow and (to me) gloomy passage and presented their passports.  These were closely scanned by the officer in charge, handed to an assistant to be countersigned, and the holder, all being right, was passed into the second room.  Our turn soon came, and, accompanied by the English lady, I approached my fate.