ld need all the money, as well as all the luck possible, now that I
was leaving her ladyship's service.

"Leaving!" she echoed. "But as you had an accident I've made up my mind
to excuse you this time, and not discharge you as I intended. You don't
know your business too well, but any maid is better than no maid on a
tour like this, as Sir Samuel pointed out to me."

"But, begging your ladyship's pardon," I ventured, "I understand that
the chauffeur is to go because he stopped at Les Baux to look for me. As
he very likely saved my life, I couldn't be so ungrateful as to stay on
in my situation when he is losing his for my sake."

"What nonsense!" snapped her ladyship. "As if that had anything to do
with you, and if it has, it _oughtn't_. Besides, if he will apologize,
he can stop. Sir Samuel says so."

"He doesn't seem to think he was in the wrong, my lady," said I. "As
your ladyship will probably be at Avignon some time before finding
another chauffeur, it will be easy to look for a maid at the same time."

"Be here some time!" she cried. "I won't! We want to get on to a chateau
where my stepson's visiting."

"I should be delighted to offer your ladyship two of the lucky coins for
nothing," said I, my impertinence wrapped in honey, "if she would
persuade Sir Samuel to _ask_ the chauffeur to stay."

"Why, that's just what Sir Samuel wants to do, if I would hear of it!"
The words popped out before she had stopped to think.

"It might be too late after this evening," I suggested. "The chauffeur
will perhaps take steps at once to secure some other engagement; and I
fear that a good man is always in great demand. I hope that your
ladyship will kindly understand that it would be nothing to _me_, if he
hadn't got into trouble for my sake."

"You can leave the coins, and call Sir Samuel, who is in his room next
door," remarked Lady Turnour with dignity. "I will talk with him."

The greedy creature was delighted to have the coins without paying for
them, and delighted with the excuse to do what she would have liked to
do without an excuse, if obstinacy had not forbidden. I kept one coin
for my own luck; I called Sir Samuel, who was sulking in his den, was
dismissed with an order for her ladyship's dinner, which she would have
in bed, and told to return with the menu.

A few minutes later, coming back, I met Mr. Jack Dane in the corridor.

"Have you seen Sir Samuel yet?" I inquired.

"No. He's sent for me, and I'm