excursion to Spain. The fact that Piers could speak Spanish suggested that all the arrangements should be left in his hands. We embraced

m to Paris and Rome. My cousin's farewell to her future husband had been ridiculously affecting. P

arm things. I'm sure it's still most awfully cold up there, and-and

, binder," co

then. I remembe

said he

great thing was to keep warm

looked

dren," he said, "wi

ers, because your left one comes down. And be very careful crossing the streets. Wait till there's

does. Combine business with pleasure

darling, I love you very much, and-and God bless you, dear,

ers put her fin

bye, M

one another

ving, and the Duke swung himself

to trot by

up the attempt and stood waving her tiny ha

, she turned

brow. "I wish to goodness we were married. Then I could have gone with him." She stumbled, and I caught her.

erest, darling. Piers i

her eyes th

"My very own.... Boy, will you take me

t, two stout body-belts had been di

*

his napkin to his knees, "to consume oxt

do," sa

Afterwards he can be hosed. And now about Spain. Of course, without Piers to talk for us, we shall be mocked, misled, and g

e day after to-morrow, spend one night at Pampelun

red Daphne. "I suppose

do," said Adèle,

the main thing. We must get some money at the bank-Spanish money, I m

secticide," said Berry. "

e," said

n't wake me to inspect the bodyguard. Have we any castanets? And w

g in fancy dress, I'd rather remain at Pau.

n," was the reply, "tha

I had carefully studi

r myself that, had I be

would have found

of a white bowler, a morning-coat, golf-breeche

ght really to have had my cuffs trimmed with skunk,"

said Adèle. "We mus

. "I promised Piers we'd

h gr

our passport photogr

n. Mine, I must confess, is less successful. Had I been told that it was a study of the Honorary Treasurer of the Splodgeworth Goose Club on bail, I should have held it an excellent likeness. Daphne's is very good. She's wearing that particularl

Adèle. "He loo

es out in the flesh. The camera can never lie. And now don't choke. It's unmaidenl

" said

n-pen,"

," sai

said

pener,"

id Berry. "That's nin

bush. If you must have a camera-well, take one. But as for soap

lain man of few words, all this vulga

expected that he wou

ignation was at its height t

d the same expleti

h

will be--" The crash of glass interrupted him. "Don't move, Falcon, or you'll wrec

sir," replie

e candles in a min

aid my brother-in-law, "

or?" sa

now where the port was, and I could peel

huddering. "Oh, why i

said I, "calls

similarly placed, what w

have continued his discourse,

nah. "Any more queri

sister. "How ex

ver the mountains by Roncevaux. It's a wonderful drive, they say, but the very deuce of a climb. Pampeluna'

. "It's only a hundr

d resumed a surreptitious

all strike some

" crie

d together. Then, if one falls, it'll take the other with it

phne, "don't they bring

, ma

or, and go and see

good,

utler emerged from the r

can't bear it any longer.

ng for the wretched things ever since the l

had a

len

n put on the table,"

y are," s

he

e your pretty

. "They're in-- Oh, you brut

y," said Berry. "

it on purpose. You know you did. Daphne,

," said Berry. "It'll

k, you'll ha

with two inches of candle upon

n the centre of the table, the

ne before Berry and was about to withdra

ered at t

there, mada

ked round

to feel under his chair, "I think-I me

a small silver bowl whic

ook a de

and let us feel all over the table, and pretended you were l

I never...." He stopped short an

rom beneath the table,

ther-in-law he

ilt more pla

sank to the floor: the pert white tail was lower

Nob

head upon the ground, and the

dog," said I. "Besi

und of chocolat

't chocolates at all. They were marrons glacés-the la

ped his

he demanded, "to torm

a C.B.

. "Tea without a marron glacé will be like

France has a close

his face i

d. "The last of the bunch

imilarly placed, what wo

," said

" said

fe sm

tracks for Sp

*

own with everything," I touched my hat, and we rolled slow

ion was ve

pasted upon our passports. The visas were deliberately inspected. Our certificates were unfolded and scrutinised. Our travelling pass was digested. To our great relief, however, he let the luggage go. We had no contraband, but we were two hours late, and to

if tortuous, had been as flat as your hand. But the gorge was a cul de sac-a beautiful blind alley, with mountains' flanks for walls. So the road had been made to

and we went at a wicked

ely the scenery

ces, up, above all, an exquisite vesture of snow, flawless and dazzling-these stood for beauty. All the wonder of height, the towering proportions of the place, the bewildering pitch of the sky-these stood f

-for we had instinctively

by woods and coppices, over grey bridges-wet and shining and all stuck with ferns-now looking forward to the snow-bound ridge, now facing back to find the frontier vil

rung with the wind, and presently up and into and over the snow,

unwarrantably hot, and, after a moment's consideration, I

it?" sa

e. At least, I think so. Of course it's a deuc

ing to get out

second

ouble when first I suspected its presence. Had I done so, I should have spared the engine, I should have been able to corre

I made

to have Berry. I've got a new strap in the

yes and sank his c

id Daphne. "I'm very

aid Berry. "Besides, I h

et out?" sa

we got him as far a

I said im

nd beautiful it looks, does not it?" He took a deep breath and let himself down upon his toes. "A-A-ah!

of beyond, but I found it at l

fixing the strap, you mi

th?" sai

Just pick it up

e me strength," said Berry brokenly.

s the

pick up som

h it, dear-well. Then the

ing it up, then? I mean, my le

hat, too," c

n the pictures they used to have a barrel of whisky round their necks. The great thing was to be found by a

the radiator?" said I,

ss. My fingers were cold and clumsy, and everything

oking over

d all the snow round here. Just a few feet, you kn

n?" said I. "Is

but it seems to go down. I've put

non revealed the unpleasant tru

ned this

for the last twenty minutes I have been at some pains to

id I, "is

, I might have been trying to eat a la

e cooled her d

o induce my brother-in-law to continue his Danaidean task

on to the radiator and

ly uneasy, an

country lay before us. We were nearly at the top of the pass, and, presumably, once we were over we sh

ly I put

lipping constantly. I had to go very gingerly. Two deep furrows ahead told of P

t we snarled past a ruined cabin and, stumbling

impossible to say, and there was no one to be seen. The place looked like a toy som

he water, and hoped for the best. While I was doing this, Berry had closed the car-a wise measure, for, though

d. And the road was splendidly laid: its long clean sweeps, its graceful curves, the way in which its line befitted

de and stricken it looked. There was no glass in the windows: filth littered th

ised with a shock what sort of a night w

. Presently the road forked and we switched to the righ

mean?" said my sister, looki

,'" said I. "As for accidentad

shall be there any minute. This must b

eared hi

urn and it become necessary to ply me with cordial, just part my lips and

n the right-hand side of the road stands

ly beautiful specimen of the palae

lied the radiator. Just take the cap off

he reply. "Unfortunately I h

phne, thrusting a hotwa

cy I forgot

hted a c

d," said I,

y received the godsend a

two minutes

he water's too hard or somethi

e," said

sband. "You go and tempt

ut of it and hold

tell

out m

aid, "it'll be dark, and we

Berry di

e was filling the rad

crewed on the cap and m

my bottle?" s

ry, slamming the door, "that fu

never dr

each of my sleeves first, and then spat all over my head. Yes, it is funny, isn't it? Never mind. Game to the last, he we

in water, for very soon, to my di

re a sturdy mother came lugging a great caldron before we had named our need. In all co

t terrible asce

ong hill, round two or three death-trap bends,

six when we ran

reets were crowded, and we moved slowly, with the result that the eight urchins who decided to mount the running-boards d

s right. Straight on. Look at that one. He's holding on by t

said I, s

. That must be it,

e boys alighted from the dickey, the w

r I found mys

ility to speak a word of Spanish and his inability to speak a word of anything else disfavoured an intelligent conversa

leasing informati

r.' I suppose a superman might have put it more plainly, but it's a pretty broad hint. And now what shall we do? Thr

e. "Get in, Boy. I

nd started

out again w

, who had remounted

ain, feelin

we visited was ad

he second time, Jonah came

of order, there's no steam heat, and there are no fire-places. Both the bath-rooms have been let as bedrooms, and the garage is conveniently situated about a mile and a half away. The porter's cut his hand, so you'l

*

we are. Don't talk. Don't do

NA

t the word

ding, hat in hand, and stepped into

e were whipping

be mended and the car to be washed had been understood and would be executed, I was almost too tired to care. I was also abominably cold. The prospect

f the hotel I had been

contentedly. What it all meant, I had not the faintest idea. Enough that I was com

with a rush be

ffeur removed his hat, and

nto the grateful shelte

invited to ascend the huge staircase. I did so in silence. At th

wn footfalls. The atmosphere was pleasantly warm and full of the sweet scent of burning wood. What furniture I saw was very handsome. Three exquisite sta

my guide wo

he stopped to kn

it?" cri

e, and she calle

o the finest bedroom

rs, table-lamps-all were in beautiful taste. An open door in one corner, admitting the flash of tiles, promised a bath-room. On the bed my dress-clothes, which I had packed for San Sebastian

d round

my neck. "And I thought you were never coming. I wanted to wait for you, lad, but they wouldn't let me. But I'

ure I'm alive. I'm not sure I'm not mad. 'Sure'? I don't know the meaning of the wo

Adèle, "I've not

ut

last we began to understand that he'd got some rooms for us elsewhere. You can imagine our joy. Once we understood, he didn't have to ask us whether we'd come. The next minute two chauffeurs were slinging the baggage on to a couple of cars, and, after we'd managed to explain that you were coming back, Berry paid some sort of a bill and we all pushed off. When we

the magnificence of our lodging, it would have been reasonable enough. Still, we knew nothing

ad begun to wonder whether it was wo

*

d we had passed into the shadowed comfort of a gorgeous library, where only the ceaseless flicker of a great log fire had lighted us to deep-cushioned chairs and

aven that we had fallen so magically upon our own, confined our conversation to the events of our jo

hout which, to make life worth living, no car should ever take the road,

witch on the light, the man

rry glanced at

de Serrano, Madrid.' Better have him in, hadn't we?" He tur

t bowed an

oy, perhaps twenty-three years

with an open-hearted delight whi

t it's shortening his life. I've had a fearful time with him. There are about a thousand things he wants to know, and he's commissioned me to find them out without asking any questions. That, he says,

s in five feet of water on a particularly blasted mountain-side. But don't be disconcerted. We shouldn't think of drow

ank int

ne, twittering, "I can't

ed at her cu

fice till this afternoon. Then they took it to the mayor. Of course he nearly died. But, being a man of action, he got a move on. He flew round here and laid the facts before the steward-the owner happens to be away-and arranged to put this house at your disposal. Then he rushed round, borrowed a couple of

he mayor and you and everyone, but why-in the first pla

raised hi

"when they saw the tel

the wire?"

said Jona

deux petites chambres avec salle

NS

ing to faint. Then he covered his fac

m from his pocket, unfolde

sent," he said jerkily, "but

deux petites chambres avec sall

NO

aloud there was a

len

in upside down this morning, but I little dreamed it was to be a royal progress. However

nodded

e first and foremost questio

*

response to a wire from San Sebastian peremptoril

had, indeed, dealt with the delicate situation with admirable

ad unconsciously assumed must be deliberately mai

proud, and I think it'd kill him. Very well, then. Your course, plainly, is the line of least resistance. O friends, Romans, countrymen,

out Epi