t. Now, what you want to do is to throw into a dress-suitcase a
few things, and we'll ship the trunks by rail to Nice. All you need is
a toothbrush, a change of socks, and--"

"There's Marie," she interrupted.

"Can't we ship her by rail too?"

"No, Monte," she answered, with a decided shake of her head.

"But, hang it all, people don't go a-gypsying with French maids!"

"Why not?" she demanded.

She asked the question quite honestly. He had forgotten Marie utterly
until this moment, and she seemed to join the party like an intruder.
Always she would be upon the back seat.

"Wouldn't you feel freer without her?" he asked.

"I should n't feel at all proper," she declared.

"Then we might just as well not have been married."

"Only," she laughed, "if we had n't taken that precaution it would n't
have been proper for me to go, even with Marie."

"I'm glad we've accomplished something, anyhow," he answered
good-naturedly.

"We've accomplished a great deal," she assured him. "Yesterday morning
I could n't--at this time--have done even the proper things and felt
proper. Oh, you don't know how people look at you, and how that look
makes you feel, even when you know better. I could n't have sat here
at breakfast with you and felt comfortable. Now we can sit here and
plan a wonderful trip like this. It's all because you're just Monte."

"And you just you!"

"Only I don't count for anything. It makes me feel even more selfish
than I am."

"Don't count?" he exclaimed. "Why--"

He stifled the words that sprang to his lips. It was only because she
thought she did not count that she was able to feel comfortable. Once
let her know that she counted as at that moment she did count to him,
and even what little happiness he was able to bring her would vanish.
He would be to her then merely one of the others--even as he was to
himself.

He rose abruptly.

"I must see about getting a machine," he said. "I want to start this
afternoon if possible."

"I'll be ready," she agreed.

As they went out to the office, the clerk stepped up to him.

"I have secured the reservation, monsieur," he announced.

"Please cancel it," replied Monte.

"Reservation?" inquired Marjory.

"On the Calais express--for a friend of mine who has decided not to
go," he answered.

CHAPTER XII

A WEDDING JOURNEY

Monte made an extravagant purchase: a new high-powered touring car
capacious enough for a whole family--h