, but inside the quaint and
charming house a look at the visitors' register changed it in a flash.
There was one prince and one duke; there were several counts; and as to
barons, they were peppered about in rich profusion. Each noble being was
accompanied by his chauffeur, so evidently it was the "thing" to stop in
the Hotel de l'Europe, and the _haut monde_ considered Avignon worth
wasting time upon. Instantly her ladyship resolved to recover
gracefully from her fatigue, and descend to the public dining-room for
dinner.

So fascinated was she by the list of great names, that she lingered over
the reading of them, as one lingers over the last strawberries of the
season; and I had to stand at attention close behind her, with her rugs
over my arm, lest any one should miss seeing that she had a maid.

"Dane says the best thing is to make Avignon a centre, and stop here two
or three nights, 'doing' the country round, before going on to Nimes or
Arles," she said to Sir Samuel, who was clamouring for the best rooms in
the house. "I didn't feel I should like that plan, but thinking it over,
I'm not sure he isn't right."

I knew very well what her "thinking it over" meant!

They stood discussing the pros and cons, and as I didn't yet know the
numbers of our rooms, I was obliged to wait till I was told. I was not
bored, however, but was looking about with interest, when I heard the
teuf-teuf of a motor-car outside. "There goes Mr. Jack Dane with the
Aigle," I thought; and yet there was a difference in the sound. I'm too
amateurish in such matters to understand the exact reason for such
differences, though chauffeurs say they could tell one make of motor
from another by ear if they were blindfolded. Perhaps it wasn't our car
leaving, but another one coming to the hotel!

I had nothing better to do than to watch for new arrivals. My eyes were
lazily fixed on the door, and presently it opened. A figure, all fur and
a yard wide, came in.

It was the figure of Monsieur Charretier.

CHAPTER X

For a minute everything swam before me, as it used to at the Convent
after some older girl had twisted up the ropes of the big swing, with me
in it, and let me spin round. Also, I felt as if a jugful of hot water
had been dashed over my head. I seemed to feel it trickling through my
hair and into my ears.

If I could have moved, I believe I should have bolted like a frightened
rabbit, perfectly regardless of what Lady Turnour