us by its absence, or
it would stand up on end, I don't doubt, when you read a few lines
farther. So, you see, even baldness is a blessing in disguise.

I won't keep you in suspense. The worst shall come first; after all
that's happened I don't mind such a little thing as an anti-climax in
writing to my indulgent and uncritical Dad.

Now for it.

I have deserted Aunt Mary and Jimmy Payne in a gorge. I am alone in a
hotel--with Brown. Yet I ask you to suspend judgment; I have not exactly
eloped.

It is all Jimmy Payne's fault.

I wired you yesterday from Marseilles, because I hadn't written since my
second letter from Pau, when I told you how Aunt Mary had persuaded me
that it would be perfectly caddish not to invite Jimmy to drive with us
to the Riviera, as his car was there and he was going that way. I felt
in my bones to an almost rheumatic extent that to ask him would be a big
mistake; still, in a weak moment I consented, when Jimmy had been
particularly nice and had just paid you a whole heap of compliments. I
lay awake nearly all night afterwards, thinking whether 'twere nobler in
the mind of Molly to hurt Brown's feelings or Jimmy's, since injury must
be dealt to one. Finally, I tossed up for it in the sanctity of my
chamber. Heads, Brown drives; tails, Jimmy; and it was tails. Well, I'd
vowed that should settle it, so I wouldn't go back on myself; and,
anyhow, Jimmy was the guest, so that French copper had the rights of it.
I did my best to make all straight with the Lightning Conductor, who
behaved like the trump he is.

Jimmy had spared no pains or expense in advertising himself as an expert
driver, nevertheless I knew him well enough not to be surprised at
finding out he didn't know much more than I did. I soon saw that, though
the first day everything went well enough. The second day he nearly
landed us in a dreadful scrape with some peasants, but since Brown
brought us safely through, I won't tell tales out of school, especially
as the tables were rather turned on the poor fellow at Carcassonne--the
most splendid place. I send you with this a little book all about it,
full of pictures, and you are to be sure to read it. I was rather sorry
for Jimmy afterwards; he was so humble, and besides, he took a cold in
his head waiting in the car while I went sight-seeing. He promised to be
very prudent if I would only trust him again, and cleverly took my mind
off his late misdeeds by exciting my curiosity. At