ey would cease to
exist unless I relented and painted them in again, as eventually I
should have to do. But I had no wish to paint the driver of the car out
of my picture, for in spite of his chauffeur's dress he is of a type
which suits any century, any country--that clear-cut, slightly stern,
aquiline type which you find alike on Roman coins and in modern
drawing-rooms. He would have done very well for one of St. Louis's
crusaders, waiting here at Aigues Mortes to sail for Palestine with his
king, from the sole harbour the monarch could claim as his on all the
Mediterranean coast. I decided to let him remain in the dream picture,
therefore, and told him so, which seemed to please him, for his eyes
lighted up. He always understands exactly what I mean when I say odd
things. I should never have felt _quite_ the same to him again, I think,
if he had stared and asked "What dream picture?"

I had been brought on this expedition strictly for use, not for
ornament. We were going from Aigues Mortes to St. Gilles and from St.
Gilles to Nimes, therefore Arles was already a landmark in our past. I
could walk about and amuse myself if I liked, but I must be at the inn
before the return of my master and mistress to arrange a light repast
collected at Arles, as we should have to lunch later at Nimes, and the
resources of Aigues Mortes were not supposed to be worthy of
millionaires in search of the picturesque. There were several neat
packages, the contents of which would aid and abet such humble
refreshment as the City of Dead Waters could produce; but I had more
than an hour to play with; and much can be done in an hour by an
enthusiast with a good circulation.

I had not quite realized, however, how largely my brother's
companionship contributed to my pleasure on these excursions. We had
seen almost everything together, and suddenly it occurred to me that I
was taking his presence too much for granted. He would not go with me
now, because in so small a round we were certain to run up against the
Turnours, and her ladyship might be pleased to give me another lecture
like that of evil memory at Avignon. I would have risked future
punishment for the sake of present pleasure, and it was on my tongue to
say so; but I swallowed the words with difficulty, like an over-large
pill.

So it fell out that I wandered off alone, sustaining myself on high
thoughts of Crusaders as I gazed up at the statue of St. Louis, and
paced the sentinel