at it came to giving in, he
hung back, reluctant to dip his colours.

"To-day's Thursday," said he. "Let's give ourselves till Saturday. If
nothing turns up by then, I am your man to slink home."

Roger, a little ashamed to find the first last and the last first in the
race after all, readily assented. And the two worked unflagging for two
days longer.

Friday evening came, and the two sat dismally down to _table d'hote_
with defeat staring them in the face. They said very little, but each
knew the mortification in the other's breast.

At last, when the meal was over, Mr Armstrong said--

"I suppose we had better go and get our tickets."

"I suppose so."

But the _bureau_ was closed for the night, and the two took a solitary
walk along the beach. They walked on further than usual in the clear
moonlight, till at last the tutor looked at his watch.

"It's nine o'clock," said he; "we must go back."

"Let's take the country road back."

"It is a mile longer."

"Never mind. It is our last night."

So they struck up by the cliffs, and followed the chalky country road
back to Boulogne.

About two miles from the town the cheery lights of a wayside _auberge_
attracted their attention.

"Let us get some coffee here," said Armstrong.

This solitary tavern rejoiced in the name of "Cafe d'Angleterre," but if
its owner expected thereby to attract the custom of Mr John Bull, he
was singularly mistaken. The chief customers of the place were
labourers and navvies, who by their noisy jargon were evidently innocent
of all pretensions to a foreign tongue.

Seeing two strangers, presumably able to pay ready money for what they
consumed, the old landlord invited his visitors into the bar parlour,
where at his own table he set before them that delightful concoction of
chicory and sifted earth which certain provincial Frenchmen call _cafe_.
And being a gregarious and inquisitive old man, and withal proud of his
tolerable stock of English, he took the liberty of joining them.

"Inglese?" inquired he, with a pantomimic shrug.

"Quite so," said the tutor, putting up his glass, and inspecting the
fellow carefully.

"This is the `Cafe d'Angleterre,'" said the landlord, "but, _helas_! it
is long since the Inglese gentleman come here. They like too well the
great town."

"Ah, Boulogne has grown. Can you remember the place twenty years ago?"

"Can I? I can remember forty years."

"I wonder," broke in Roger, too i