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 fear

e 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