Christy to be extremely delightful. She had a magnificent smile and a gregarious laugh. Time spend with her was enjoyable with her witty stories and keen observations of the Parisians and knowledge of the artworks we saw. The day before we boarded the Orient Express for our journey to Vienna, Christy received a letter from Jack Grimm. I of course was surprised it was not sent to Watson. She declined to share it with us after she quickly tore open the envelope and scanned the contents. She said she would finish it up in her room and share the gist of it with us on the train. I certainly was curious, for I could not fathom what he would be writing to her. I know he could not openly correspond with me, and I had not taken Watson or Christy into my confidence concerning what Jack was involved in. I would just have to wait until Christy enlightened us. The direct Paris-Constantinople operation started in June 1889. The Orient Express leaves Paris from Gare de Strasbourg every night at 18:25. It has daily sleepers for Vienna, twice-weekly sleepers on Sundays and Wednesdays for Constantinople, and twice-weekly sleepers on Monday and Friday for Bucharest. Arrival in Constantinople was at 16:00, 3 nights (67.5 hours) from Paris. We would be getting off at Vienna the first day, then catching a later train after touring the city. We had the usual busy morning visiting the last shops before final packing that afternoon and getting our suitcases sent down to the lobby and getting transportation to the train station. The station was of course noisy from people arriving and departing and everyone seemed to just get on their train on time. The trains contributed much to the chaos with their heavy smoke and noise when arriving or departing. Restocking the dinning cars and loading and unloading mail cars also contributed to the general uproar. Vendors were hawking their wares, last minute souvenirs and postcards including those new stereographic cards, adding to the din. We boarded with no fanfare and were escorted to our compartments, situated next to each other with adjoining locked door. We agreed to unpack and meet in the dining car for dinner. I, being the bachelor, arrived in the dining car first and arranged a table for the three of us. I ordered a pre-dinner drink and watched the French countryside roll by while I perused the menu and awaited my companions. I didn’t have long to wait; Watson and Christy soon made an entrance. I say made an entrance since Christy had decided to wear one of the new French dresses she had picked up in Paris. She presented such a lovely sight, most of the men in the diner looked up at her entrance and their eyes followed her to my table. Many of the women were admiring her attire and murmured to their companions. But as soon as she was seated and the waiter came to get their drink order, everyone discretely returned to their own conversations. The dinner for tonight was of course prepared by the trains excellent French Chef. The menu was: “Le jarret de boeuf à la rosée de mer braisé délicatement pendant quatre heures. Jus de truffes blanches au marsala” or Knuckle end of beef braised gently for four hours with rosemary, white truffles and marsala wine jus. “Les pointes de brocolis aux amandes” or buttered broccoli and almonds. “Les pommes de terre rôties” or roast potatoes. “Les fromages d’Italie” or choice of italian cheeses. “La meringata aux pépites de chocolat” or iced meringue studded with fine chocolate flakes. And of course the finest Colombian coffee. After our waiter returned with our dinner, Watson and I discussed what we thought we would visit in Vienna. Christy was unusually quiet, with a concerned look on her brow. She then cleared her pensive expression and addressed me. “Mr. Holmes, I hope I am not being intrusive, but why did you retire when you did, and why did you retire to a bee-farm? John has written up so many of your splendid exploits that I was curious.” “Well my dear,” I unexpectedly addressed her more intimately than I had anticipated,” I had reached the pinnacle of my cognitive abilities and the criminal cases that were coming my way were mainly mundane. I have had several successful cases that I felt were worthy to claim, and I was not sure any more would come along that would require my services or rather could not induce me to come out of retirement if they were interesting enough. The daily chaos and pollution that is modern London would continue without my adding to the tumult. I decided to concentrate on a society that is more orderly than our own, perhaps I could expose some cultural aspects that could be adopted to our own hectic social order.” “Why Mr. Holmes, you do not seem to hold mankind in much esteem.” She commented. “Overall, I do not; there is so much pettiness and abject exploits without contemplation, that on the whole that mankind is rather lacking. The perverted passions and paltry greed that rules most human action, creates time filling commotion, but not much positive value. That is not to say there are not unusual redeeming moments or personages that rise above the common pack. There are virtuosos of many field of endeavor, not only the arts, writers or scientists, but common day laborers who work is worthy to be considered along side any Da Vinci or Beethoven. But they for the most part are the exception rather than the rule I have observed.” I retorted.