eks we locked not only the stable door, but every single door to which a key could be fitted-and suffered accordingly. In a word, our convenience writhed. To co

de us ready for lunch. As

rs locked?"

held u

is," s

r fumed

d P

n shook

is, instead of Pau, if the cars were standing in an undesirable t

aid Daphne, "but you kn

ll

y fr

ged your protest, which will receive the deepest consideration. I shall dwell upon it during the soup. And now push off a

to the scale, my cousin took the line o

take the complete cracknel. Since the locks were fitted, I've done nothing but turn the key from morni

ad had the room to ourselves. As it was, Jonah made his way to the door amid an enraged mu

o be said for bo

ing had been done. Now, however, that we were in a strange country, where the tracing of a stolen car would, for a variety of reasons, be an extremely dif

being wrongfully imprisoned, the result might have been different. As it was, after barking furiously for five minutes, he had recourse to reprisal and, hardly waiting to remove the paper in which it was wrapped, devoured half a kilogramme of ripe Brie with a revengeful voracity to which the condition of the interior of the car bore hideous witness. Finally, when the urchin who was in ou

of the cars, and proved. So far as we could see, there was no fault in it. Once the key was withdrawn, the car concerned was useless. It could be driven,

oms swe

ite upon every possible occasion. As drivers of long standing, Jonah and I found this eagerness hard to indulge. Use holds, and, try as we would, it wa

turned

advanced your opinion. Is this because you reali

ery letter you post. The truth is, what little sense of proportion you have is fail

the advance of old age and gluttony. I see. To which of your physica

external influence. The sew

compared to a drain at the very outset of what promises

d my ey

sighed. "I don't know what's

ne, "I quite forgot. Di

said he

ey give you?

e francs to

Daphne and Adèle in h

esterday, as, but for your entreaties, I sho

d it was down, why

wn; it's up. In the second place, I was down-to four francs tw

likely to go bac

g to do. It's a law unto itself. Compared with the Money Market of to-day, Monte Carlo's a Sunday-school. I

said his wife. "It's throwing away money." Here my c

t?" sai

eque when the f

said Jonah.

"can it have risen

gone down

ree's less th

, taking an olive from a dis

aid Jill

e imports exceed the exports, the roll rises"-up went his hand-"as good bread should. But when the exports exceed the

nd across her sw

salt-cellar go

d Berry. "That was to d

ed with i

an't help yourself, it isn't likely you can help me. And, any way, I wouldn'

id I rel

ow can

that all the francs in the wor

opping would b

id Jill f

pound's worth of herrings. Fish is

es

night herr

You have to get out of bed and

to shake w

id Jill e

rately, "when you come to buy another pound's

rying to decide whether to have one or two poun

ok up th

ple," he said. "Thi

k a deep

h

" she

esday you look at it again, and find it's fifty

his sister

t's just the opposite.

es

," said Jon

d from Daphne to Adèle-dazedly. T

dea of how the thing worked. Now I'm confused for ever. If they are to be believed, in

was leaving the room and had come to

? But, I say, what a fall in the franc! Three po

adieus and

good sayin

thout honour, save

*

that we were bowling alo

strained at the leash of Winter with an eager heart. The valleys smiled, high places lifted up their heads, the hasty Gave de Pau swir

roat. The surface improving as we left Pau behind, I drew on the seven-league boots-surreptitiously. Very soon we were flying....

o the shape of a high-wheeled gig, jogged for a moment to meet us, and vanished into space. A dolls'-house by the wayside swelled into a villa ... a chateau ... a memory

crossing with the

n whether to withdraw them or no. After a long look up the line, howev

rrive," she

ed the engine and li

said Daphne, "

a matter for conjecture. We addressed one another for more than twenty minutes, but

did you he

almost certain that towards the end of our communion she said, 'Oh, he

ne s

"After all, that's the main thing. You mad

It's no good pretending that 'Wednesday's' a good word to shout, but I mad

shrieked

louder t

that's

tarted

rcredi,'" he

shake wit

y sister regar

you say?" s

rcre

rd of it," cried Daph

ow you

le freight-train started to

mble bega

must have got 'Wednes

have rung u

offered me a cigar. Then he turned to

he man whom she had chosen out of so many suitors. Little knowing that we were at Pau, Evelyn had written to us from Biarritz. In due season her letter had arrived, coming by way of Hampshire. An answer in the shape of a general invitation to lunch had brought not s

e, all six, upon the road-my wife and cousins in

o the paved str

d Berry, "when

ehorade,"

e the stones begin, or the

ok my

ck. But-well, there's a hill or two coming, and-and I

es, and the road was perfect. There were no corners, and the bends were few. There were hills, certainly; but these were straightforward enough and could be taken, so to speak, in our stride. More

thez, I looke

utes to

ld of the

nger and protest against the pace. But neither at the time or thereafter did she

and out of an apparently deserted village, shot up a long incline, and slowed up for a curve.... Then some poultry demanded consideration. As we left them behind, the agitation of two led horses necessitated a still further reduction of speed. We lost such time as I had made, an

At the foot was a panting lorry going our way. An approaching Ford was abo

It was a question of giving way-at least, it ought to have been. It was, however, too late. Happi

ordinary matchbox could have been passed between our near-side running-board and that

on and up and

all was pla

eyrehorade, I gl

er of a minute. But for the led ho

nd that was that the driver of the gr

. Almost immediately the road deteriorated. Its fine straightforward

my brother-in-law slowed up an

iven upon this ro

ok my

p, I am. I'd rather drive on the beach." With that h

d, detaining him

or blistering leagues. I know these roads.

ood practice,

that there it will be my blithesome duty continually to back a charabanc with a

ving so beautiful

finesse?" sai

said I. "G

ean-'ginger'?

ion," said

b-bull-dog

'Shove-me-and-I'll-shove-your-face'

door and felt for

ted down th

and pot-holes, but the remains of a railway platform which might have been brought from one of what we know as 'the stricken areas,' laid, like

t a huge pantechnicon, "that

and brain-shaking as that induced by the passage of a French pantechnicon, towed at a high speed over an abominable road. That the driver of the tractor

dust, the reek, the vibration, the pandemonium, were combining to create an atmosphere worthy of a place in the Litany. One's senses were cuffed and buffeted almost to a stands

aching the to

With a yell of triumph, my unwitting brother-i

he same time opening the throttle as wide as I dared. I fancy we took the corner on two whe

ched Biarritz alive, she should drive

ssing grey-headed Bayonne, we came to her s

the road, while Jonah was leaning languidly against the

d. "They're out. Won't be back

*

e engagement had been well and truly made, and that if Evelyn and her husband chose to forget all about it, that was no fault of his. Finally, when Jonah suggested that after l

leading questions. 'I quite expect we were expected yesterday, weren't

esides, I'd be only too relieve

ied her husband. "What a

s some cold stuffed venison on the sideboard. I do

hook hi

id mournfully. "I d

round hungrily-"w

villa again w

elicited the informati

t the previous day

rother-in-law explained the position and desired permissi

lon meekly enough. When he had written his lett

EVE

WE F

ul, I call it. To have been unprepared to receive us would have been bad enough,

on economy, forewent her breakfast and arrived upon your threshold faint and ravening, you will conceive the emotion with w

at is

ope, twice risked a life, the loss of which would, as you know, lower half the flags in Bethnal Green, and postponed

rs

ccount. As is my humble wont, I bent my head to the storm, strong in the fearless confiden

of yourself,"

not be,

f to find a suitable and sheltered grove, within sound of the Atlantic

husband can play golf. He

ar old

RR

arritz. Anyway, they ought to be prosecuted. Driving about the country like a drunken hornet. Mercifull

*

ds were whol

By rights, if music and perfume have any power, we should have fallen asleep. The air, however, prevented us. Here was an inspiriting lullaby-a sleeping-draught laced wit

ld get me that spray

irable. Remembering this, I did as Berry and Jonah were doing-stared

oy

, de

ink you c

shoulder, sworn three times, and ruined the appearance

that'll look lovely in the drawing-room. The w

o have picked it," I sa

mind," she added cheerfully, slipping

my back and scream, I relighted

k with Jill i

, two ferns, and a square foot of moss-the latter, much to the irritation of its inhabitants, many of whom refused to evacuate their homes and therefore accompanied us. I drew the line at frogs, on the score of crue

y, dropping our spoils and

scrap. And-and don't be angry with me, Boy. Jonah's been cros

own," said I. "At least-we

ings. It fell, perhaps, one inch below her knees. For a moment she regar

d I have seen it tumbled about her shoulders. I have seen her grave, and I have seen her gay. I have seen her on hors

dge of dancing. Her heightened colour, the poise of her shapely head, the parted lips lent to that exquisite face the air of an elf. All the sweet grace of a child was welling out of her maidenhood. Her apple-green frock fitted the form of a shepherdess. Her pretty grey l

eathed "Madonna!" but although I swung round

," said Jill. Clearly s

ed to my

sweet altogether. Something'll have to be done about it. You'll be stolen

go and flung her

nt she stared at the reflection. "I don't think I look very nice," she added gravely. "However..." She kissed me abstractedly and sta

ime I began to r

t a slip of a bough and swung herself athletically to the top

l," she announced. "It'

e reached the point fr

awaiting u

as we

married. You ought to have been with Adèle." She ran

ould be. And now jump in. Berry has taken the othe

the car, and a few minutes later we were at the mouth of the Adour. Here we left Ping beside Pong, an

heavily over

cross with

ld I be,

n him so long, and he's still so exactly

rty?" said my wife. "But

ed at her

yours,"

aughed

e," she said, smiling, "b

nk, was unco

ssed her slig

ched our

ily. But I'm not going to. The wind annoys me,

a pointing arm. "Just look at that one-that

elsh Harp-on a dirty night," replied

retreat before the menace of the

nly a magnifi

ably mingled, the very lulls between the paroxysms were big with wrath. There was a point, too, where the river's bank became coastline, a blunt corner of land, which seemed to exasperate the sea out of all reason. A stiff breeze abetting them

play till, as they say, the cows come home. My brother-in-

denunciation o

half-past three, and if we're to avoid the playground of the

èle nicely, first, if she'll take my pl

ady," h

long, the v

me feel in

e hurriedly, "but I've

y hus

hat, cocked it,

ar?" he demanded. "Or

retorted, "and you

g was sailing into th

.. Adèle and I pored over the print, while out of our bickering Berry plucked such instructions as his fancy suggested, and, alternately advancing and retiring, cruised to and fro about a gaunt

len

erry, "did they walk round J

think," said

you aren't quick, we shall have this c

me initiative

erry, darting u

into the corner, whence, before we had recovered our equilibrium, a violent swerve to the right

end was

SCO

e another. Finally we stared at Berry. The latte

d of a cricket-bat and a false nose, he could find a swamp upon an empty stomach. They tried him once, for fun, at a garden-party. Nobody

persuaded hi

ain road to Peyrehorade could not compare with it. At every twist and turn-and there were many-some fresh attraction confronted us. The countryside, shy of the great highways, crept very clo

ndown set our

atent: and then, again, Time can be kind to the dead. What Death had given, Time had magnified. Years had added to the grey walls a peace,

our later we ran

and, encouraged by the promise of a la

es later we

up the drive

missed that venison, and if the main road hadn't been vile, we should have missed Bidache. Indeed, provide

agreed enthu

hall with a note an

as from Mrs

ST DA

. Falcon insisted that you would wish us to have lunch, so we did-a jolly good one, too. And Jack smoked one of

oving

pé. They went by us to-day like a flash of lightning. Fortunately we w

nd was f

d by Falco

must 'ave 'is key.... And as Love's the honly thing as laughs at locksmiths, sir, will you kindly return

e is seventy miles-

*

a memory kept whispering above the rush of