id Berry, "be
Daphne. "But I'm not
d frowned
Only once before have I had that conviction. I was at Cannes at the time-on the point of leavi
I can't help it. I made you give me your word befo
red her husband. "Besides, I never
. "That's why I made you pro
with disgust which the bread in no way deserved, proceeded to disrupt and eviscerat
had cut Eulalie, and this was the mo
ad been out and about the whole day long. Of an evening-sav
thing: fifty pounds a year would have covered his racing bets: if he played Bridge, it was by request. My brother-in-law was n
th the happy result that, ere we left Pau, her husband had promised her three things. The first was to leave his che
inevitable h
nd-Berry was perfectly satisfied that his luck had changed. As for the promises his wife h
g again to the charge, "was s
N
have to lend me something. I'm not
d Jonah, "but we've go
activities, we'
e you got?" d
hrew the cards
ason alone we won't lend you a paper franc.
er-in-la
ay money. With another two hundred and fifty I
en your cake. If you'd limited yourself last night and
ayed on a system. If you'd put a pound on 'R
Well, you can pray for the lot. They're trying to read something which isn't written. They're studying a blank page. They're splitting their brains over a matter on which an idiot's advice would be as valuable. I knew a brilliant commercial lawyer who used to sit down at the table and solemnly write down every number that turned up for one hour. For the next sixty minutes he planked still more solemnly on the ones that had turned up least often. Conceive such a frame of mind. That wonderful brain had failed to grasp the one simple glaring point of which his case consisted-that Roulette is law
eyeing one another uneasily. It was, we felt
ere
that I be allowed the where
To think that that two hundred p
." He looked round desperately. "Anybody want a birthri
ow," said I, "but suppos
to-night,"
ur
I tell yo
have the temerity to talk about praying
on. Look here. If I don't have a dart to-night, I shal
ok my
I said. "You'll t
erry. "You've never known the fe
t's invariably proved a m
moment's s
elp me pick it up. It may be high-minded, but it's hardly cordial. Some people might call it churlish.... Upon my soul, you are a cold-blooded crowd. Have you ever know
r seat and, coming quickly behind him,
. And if we helped you to break your word, neither you nor we would ever, at the bottom of our hearts, think quite so much of us again. An
t borrowing. Daphne admits it. If I can raise some money
and Daphne and we are all in the same stable: and that-to mix metaphors-puts us out of Court. If you ran into a fel
thin my rights. In fact, if anything which can't happen came to pass, no one would rai
Adèle. "A moment ago
y wi
gements, at any rate, are in perfect order. Unless your heart
ning her back. "But we try to be sporting. And t
terrupted by the entry of a waiter bearing so
hich Berry was requested to
is it?" sa
lied her husband, scru
d nothing from Paris
d Jonah. "Perhaps it
ed at the
ant he leaped
eathlessly. "'Member those Premium Bonds you wanted me to go in for? Over a mont
*
unding a tremendous horse-shoe bend on the way t
u excited?
arm in arm with Fortune, you're apt to lose your head. And then you're done. The jade'll give me my cues-I'm sure o
re in your shoes, I sho
eed, a quee
than Bearer Bonds, had they been representing more or less than precisely the very sum which Berry had named in his appeal, we might have labelled
ut of her sails, she had hauled down he
sprung a mine in the
mium Bonds, and, unless I'm utterly mistaken, there was a drawing two
d confirmed
e released such substance to clutch at such a s
council ha
sed of the Bonds, to ask for and search the official bulletin in
the day was some sort of a holiday
s unearthed-a changer
put himself
lletin. It had arri
we searched
utive numbers, of which the first figure was "o." The series appeared to
sappointed, we raised
and wrinkled his nose. After a lit
bsurd, and
rd cash. The fellow had no office, and, when we wanted him again, as like
sted, his ans
s he had not advanced ten pesetas. He was a c
and fifty pounds-at sixty per
cidly, offered the Bonds for sale, and, after a little calculati
into the cars, anxious to make the
oot-no ordinary sea, sirs, but Ocean himself, the terrible Atlantic to wit, in all his glory. And there, upon the boundary itself, where his proud waves are stayed, b
the snarling leagues shrank into murmuring inches and tumult dwindled into rest-on our right, the might, majesty, dominion and power of Ocean, a limitless laughing mystery of running white and bl
al-blue timbers-with full hearts, flushed and exulting. The twenty precious
s. So soon as they came, we passed on slowly along the ro
murmuring conversation: in a low voice Jill was addressing Berry and thinking of Piers: pipe in mouth, Jonah was blinking into a pair of fi
the onerous duty of lifting the cigarette to my lips, when,
went f
y, propping myse
. While I watched, he lowered them, peered into the distance, clapped them again to his eyes, let the
he turned and pointed a trembl
d. "My horse. Haven't
, and they're
ng's door. As he changed into second, I swung myself inbo
in the smooth. They had shared misery, and they had shared ease. Together, many times, they had passed through the Valley of
knee and sent to England. A
thorities, from the Director of Remounts downwards, had lent their official aid, though a most particular description had been circulated a
yself praying that he
ving like a m
d and, coming suddenly upon a road on
hanged into reverse, showed that
road at forty-five.... We flashed into a hamlet, turned at right angles,
e had stopped dead, and Jonah's door was
to this were three sorry-looking mules and, leading them, the pite
immediate rea
d, but, a firm believer in the omnipotency of the lash, had determined to reduce the check, whatever might be its cause, by methods of blood and iron. Eithe
s master had just kicked him i
er as one takes a toy from a baby. Then with the butt he hit him across the mouth. The Spaniard re
to kill him,"
front teeth were missing and that it was difficult, because of the blood, to see exactly where hi
s facing perhaps the one man living w
emen came to see Jonah. And though no applause was allowed during the boxing, they always broke the rule.... In due season my cousin went to Oxford.... In his second year, in the Inter-University contest, he kno
l lazy-looking man with a game leg, who by hi
d and actually ran
e swift precision of the surgeon about the operating table. He confessed afterwards that his chief concern
the gentleman, when, in fact, he had practically ceased attempting to defend himself, and merely bellowed with mort
ees beside the roan, plucking at the
e, but at Jonah's word he st
lear. Then we stood bac
sprung I saw at a glance. The horse had been broken down. He was still blowing badly, and I ran for the
memory of happier days, which is more eloquent than tears. There is an air of frozen misery,
d, I felt asham
st the Day of Judgment. '...And not one of them is forgotten before God....' But there was worse than pain of body here. The dull, see-nothing eyes,
was bathing a sore, and I had made a
y," said
sill, a little grey-headed man
d up an
day,"
elve years in the States, an' Ah'd rather see
ok my
er seen i
the reply. "But Ah like b
a few
ountry. Bin
his property and our continued attention to his horse, the farmer proceeded to discuss the mer
th Jona
sell me th
d the man.
you want
undred
onah. "Have you
esently he emerged from
nds passed, an
itted the halter abo
ap," he said gently, tur
drew the farmer's attention to the
st no
d never dri
t a new cart
e jerked his head in the directio
her. We do not spe
we had passed. There I handed over Ping to Adèle
and waiting to be returned to San Sebastian. Beneath the influence of twenty-five pesetas
his horse and hurried hom
eight o'clock, Jonah called for the win
red, he raised his gl
le upon the shoulder. "In a loose-box, up to his knees in straw, with an armful of hay to pick over, and no congestion.... Have you ever
en I get to the table.... It's silly, of course. One mustn't expect too much, but I had the feeling that I was going to be given a tip. You know. Like strik
aid Jonah. "I think m
-
rry quietly. "I
*
, and Berry had lost one h
side of the table, Adèle and Jill, one upon either side of Jonah, stared misera
le was
oupiers alternately did their business an
he remorseless rake jerk his five pesetas into "the Bank" in evident annoyance. Cheek by jowl with a dainty Englishwoman, who reminded me irresistibly of a Dresden shepherdess, a Spanish Jew, who had won, was explosively disputing with a croupier the amount of his stake. Two South Americans were leaning across the table, nonchalan
juego,
ween the lovers be
a he
ed the girl. "Betwe
wee
money w
ried the croup
otice that the Dutchman, plunging at the last moment upon 'MANQ
um, poppled across the r
ue
ered if a new frock ha
pier was tapping their counter a
ut him. Then he pointed to hims
the croupi
adame. I saw what happened. That
, Mons
red the dainty Englishwoman that he did not care, and, laughing a little t
't mine," sta
ing." I hesitated. Then, "If you'll take an old hand's advice, you'
When the two stopped to thank me, as they passed from the room, I felt like a criminal. Still, th
nd smoke a cigarette. Possibly I'm going too strong.
aphne, "you're bent
sband
rtly. "You see, she's just proving me.
e not to admire
sister t
ed, "may be done
ange the subject. How d'you pronounce Lwow?
ok my
id, "of concentr
"There was once a large king. It wasn't his fault. The girth went with the crown. All the Koppabottemburgs were enormous. Besides, it went very
d run out of maize. So he slipped on his invisible cloak and ran round to the
ou weren't civil, before you knew where you were, you were a three-legged toad or a dew-pond or something. So you had to be civil. As for their custom-well, it wasn't worth having. They wouldn't look at bacon, unless you'd guarantee that the pig had bee
, the grocer was pl
he witch, "that you wer
alt
y, the Master of the Horse has got his
okered," said the witch. "I
?'" stammere
meant nothing. 'No doubt you've been told to keep quiet, but I
Dutch cheese, which had floated out of his shop only the day before, and numerous other
rge Royalty,'
ss Tuesday from an ash that had supported a murderer with a false nose. The very first time I used it, it broke at six
dy had knocked him off the counter during his third metamorphosis, so he felt like death. All the same, before going to bed, he sat down and wrote to the Lord Chamberlain, asking for perm
script se
ee hours to leave the kingdom. So the grocer lost his two worst customers and got the advertis
as t
s they vacated their seats, eight other ge
nge for these, with the peculiar delicacy of his kind, the croupier upon my righ
e been spare
g the money by
nounced a
her-in-law. "Will you see
and seventy-
ompleted my
eated the n
eyebrows. "I had the maximum that t
arted to count the equivalent o
ddressing t
the stake. She's
a he
all," begged D
vas
arted to check t
er
. Adèle was shaking Jonah by the arm. My sister was clinging to Berry, imploring him to "stop now." The two Frenchmen were laughing and nodding their co
foolish. But I'll give it a miss this time, because it's not coming
l went
moment's
," announced
ave lost my money. Now this time m
dged rectangle we
was receiving four h
y, it was out of the question. Idiotically I be
turne
uietly. "And now... It's rea
shoulders, he set
my br
etted from stud to stud-tumbled into the wheel
ead out h
id, "it's too easy.
Daphne. "Don'
't we? I mean, it isn't as if I hadn't been given the tip. From the moment I woke this morning-- Listen, dear. Don't bother about the wheel-the lady's been hammeri
er
hat was toward. Complete strangers were chattering like old friends. Gibbering with emotion, the Spanish Jew was dramatically recounting what had occurred. The Dutchman was sitting back,
d his ackn
watched them se
y gave me four hundr
juego,
hook hi
ime," he sa
ook at '0' the ball ran
relief followed
erry, picking up
't bear it. The board's bewitched. If
said Berry, put
va m
My he
brother-in-law. "For, as I live
er
member suc
eral others had backed the winner, were clasping one another and singing the Marseillaise. The beautifully dressed American was wringing Adèle's hand. Th
ng croupiers appe
tumult
ins," said Berry. "Wel
the board on the
s no hol
as, he had set twelve t
DD,' and
undred pounds o
ed my e
to lose way, the
)," announced
ing, I sought to ga
in-law rose
he said. "'PASSE
and put the maxi
nter, four hundred and seventy
my chair, I gla
Bank' to the tune of-as near as I could make it-
*
ritz. Berry, Daphne, and Jill were in one car, and Adèle and I were in the other. Jonah and Zed we
r last look at Spain, that realm of maje
magnify an English landscape, the richer it will become; but to find
ough for days we had been looking upon a mighty canvas, and while we had caught something of its splendo
ime for luncheon, I lai
through Bidart, and hobbled over a feare nearing
dèle suddenly, "is
s, what he gave to the poor, and the various rates of
d Adèle thoughtfull
of a gun blew the
e car in to the s
ent upon the ou
had two spa
my seat, Berry, Daphne, an
lowed them in
drive that at length I remembered the question which
the car to
y when we had the first burst near Bidache? We were
yell that I have ever
we stared a
car by opposite doors
was bellowing, clawing at his temples a
nd Jill were poring over a
R S
he drawing, which took place on Monday last, one of the Premium Bonds, which we yesterday dispatche
beg to enclose a cutting
results of drawings, the '0' or 'zero,' which for some reason
leasure of you
remain,
edient
-
*
ter that my memory again res
tell me what you had been about to say when the first tire went ou
laughing. "But it's no goo
and Falcon came
form and weighed
t the Bank, and I couldn't have been at the Post Office before
, staring. "But you sa
ub
odd
that half a million francs were worth a tenpenny wire. Therefore I telegraphed to Jo
he form from my ha
very
purchase
*
r recovered from t
what it was that she had been about to sa