asted improvements, she could remember well when the cross-Channel
service was much better conducted than it was at present. But _that_ was
before we had compulsory education. The working classes were driving
trade out of the country, and the consequence was, we couldn't build a
boat which didn't reek like an oil-shop. Even the sailors on board were
French--jabbering idiots; not an honest British Jack-tar among the lot
of them; though the stewards were English, and very inferior Cockney
English at that, with their off-hand ways, and their School Board airs
and graces. _She'd_ School Board them if they were her servants; _she'd_
show them the sort of respect that was due to people of birth and
education. But the children of the lower classes never learnt their
catechism nowadays; they were too much occupied with literatoor,
jography, and free-'and drawrin'. Happily for my nerves, a good lurch to
leeward put a stop for a while to the course of her thoughts on the
present distresses.

At Ostend the Count made a second gallant attempt to capture the
jewel-case, which Lady Georgina automatically repulsed. She had a fixed
habit, I believe, of sticking fast to that jewel-case; for she was too
overpowered by the Count's urbanity, I feel sure, to suspect for a
moment his honesty of purpose. But whenever she travelled, I fancy, she
clung to her case as if her life depended upon it; it contained the
whole of her valuable diamonds.

We had twenty minutes for refreshments at Ostend, during which interval
my old lady declared with warmth that I _must_ look after her registered
luggage; though, as it was booked through to Cologne, I could not even
see it till we crossed the German frontier; for the Belgian _douaniers_
seal up the van as soon as the through baggage for Germany is unloaded.
To satisfy her, however, I went through the formality of pretending to
inspect it, and rendered myself hateful to the head of the _douane_ by
asking various foolish and inept questions, on which Lady Georgina
insisted. When I had finished this silly and uncongenial task--for I am
not by nature fussy, and it is hard to assume fussiness as another
person's proxy--I returned to our _coupe_ which I had arranged for in
London. To my great amazement, I found the Cantankerous Old Lady and the
egregious Count comfortably seated there. 'Monsieur has been good enough
to accept a place in our carriage,' she observed, as I entered.

He bowed and smiled. 'Or, r