Paul turned quickly to the inspector.

Ah, then, there was another train?
No; it was only the up express for Basle, going the other way and stopping at the Nord Station, half a mile away.

It would not stop here, but the Herr would see it pass in a few moments at full speed.
It came presently, with a prolonged despairing shriek, out of the darkness; a flash, a rush and roar at his side, a plunge into the darkness again with the same despairing cry; a flutter of something white from one of the windows, like a loosened curtain, that at last seemed to detach itself, and, after a wild attempt to follow, suddenly soared aloft, whirled over and over, dropped, and drifted slowly, slantwise, to the ground.
The inspector had seen it, ran down the line, and picked it up.

Then he returned with it to Paul with a look of sympathizing concern.

It was a lady's handkerchief, evidently some signal waved to the well-born Herr, who was the only passenger on the platform.