study law. Jimmy did not study very earnestly and took to bad courses
for a while. He had money and he was popular; and he divided his time
curiously between musical and motoring circles. Then he had been sent
for a term to Cambridge to see a little life. His father, remonstrative,
but covertly proud of the excess, had paid his bills and brought him
home. It was at Cambridge that he had met Segouin. They were not much
more than acquaintances as yet but Jimmy found great pleasure in the
society of one who had seen so much of the world and was reputed to
own some of the biggest hotels in France. Such a person (as his father
agreed) was well worth knowing, even if he had not been the charming
companion he was. Villona was entertaining also--a brilliant
pianist--but, unfortunately, very poor.

The car ran on merrily with its cargo of hilarious youth. The two
cousins sat on the front seat; Jimmy and his Hungarian friend sat
behind. Decidedly Villona was in excellent spirits; he kept up a deep
bass hum of melody for miles of the road The Frenchmen flung their
laughter and light words over their shoulders and often Jimmy had
to strain forward to catch the quick phrase. This was not altogether
pleasant for him, as he had nearly always to make a deft guess at the
meaning and shout back a suitable answer in the face of a high wind.
Besides Villona's humming would confuse anybody; the noise of the car,
too.

Rapid motion through space elates one; so does notoriety; so does
the possession of money. These were three good reasons for Jimmy's
excitement. He had been seen by many of his friends that day in the
company of these Continentals. At the control Segouin had presented him
to one of the French competitors and, in answer to his confused murmur
of compliment, the swarthy face of the driver had disclosed a line of
shining white teeth. It was pleasant after that honour to return to the
profane world of spectators amid nudges and significant looks. Then as
to money--he really had a great sum under his control. Segouin, perhaps,
would not think it a great sum but Jimmy who, in spite of temporary
errors, was at heart the inheritor of solid instincts knew well with
what difficulty it had been got together. This knowledge had previously
kept his bills within the limits of reasonable recklessness, and if he
had been so conscious of the labour latent in money when there had been
question merely of some freak of the higher intelligence,