ph.
In this natural phenomenon lies my chance of gaining time, and other
things that I want.

You would have had some pure enjoyment out of to-day if you had been the
fifth person on my Napier. If you could have heard Aunt Mary (who, in
common with a certain type of American, worships a title and rolls it on
her tongue as if it were a plover's egg out of season) asking "Jimmy"
questions about his grand English friends! Knowing that my cold and
venomous eye was upon him, and writhing under it, he had to answer her
questions. "What sort of looking man is the Duke of Burford, Jimmy? Did
you ever stay at any of his country places? Is it true that he often
entertains the Royalties? Were you ever asked to a house-party to meet
the King and Queen?"

I could almost have found it in my heart to pity him; but my interests
at stake were too big for me to have derived the serene pleasure from
the situation that you might have enjoyed as an initiated outsider. But
with my attempted explanations and my chortlings I've digressed too
much, and I'll get back to "Hecuba."

We started from the "Gassion." Miss Randolph announced that she would
drive at first. This was, I judged, a sop for me, as Cerberus. But Payne
was given the seat of honour beside her, and I was relegated to the
_tonneau_ with Aunt Mary and the other impedimenta. My day was over!

Miss Kedison considers it _infra dig._ to converse with a servant,
though she has been content often enough to use me as a guide-book. She
doesn't like sitting in front, so she was obliged to put up with my
physical nearness, but she took pains to emphasise her soul's
remoteness. I think her opinion of me has been for some time that I am
"too big for my boots," and I was not surprised to learn that it was by
her advice Mr. Payne had been invited to join the party. No doubt she
thought it would put me in my proper place, and so it has. Besides, we
had not been long _en route_ when I gleaned from several indications,
small in themselves, that "Jimmy" is a great favourite with her, so
great that she would not object to becoming his aunt by marriage. They
are warm friends, and if he hasn't already poured into her ear
confidences prejudicial to me, there, I fear, lies danger for the
future.

We had not been gone long from Pau before Miss Randolph glanced round at
me--a risky thing to do when you're driving; but the road was straight
and clear as far as the eye could see. I was half in hopes s