think that was disingenuous, was it?--for I hope I've a right to
call myself "a gentleman."

"How lucky for us!" cried Miss Randolph, and I heard her congratulating
herself to her aunt, because they had got hold of a _cicerone_ and
_chauffeur_ in one. After that she began to talk to me a good deal, and
now she seems to show a kind of wondering interest in testing the amount
of my knowledge, which I take care to clothe in common words and not to
show _too_ much. You must admit the situation grows in piquancy.

At Mer we crossed the Loire by the suspension bridge and ran the eight
miles to Chambord, meaning to lunch there, and go on to Blois after
seeing the Chateau. It was a grand performance for the car to run nearly
three hours without accident. While luncheon was being prepared I filled
up the water-tanks (even this simple task involved lifting all the
luggage off the car), washed with some invaluable Hudson's soap, which I
had brought from my own car, and made myself smart for _dejeuner_. The
eating business will, I can see, be one of my chief difficulties. At
Chambord, for instance, in the small hotel, there is, of course, no
special room for servants. As I have no fondness for eating in stuffy
kitchens when it can be avoided, I wandered sedately into the _salle a
manger_, where Miss Randolph and her aunt were already seated, and took
a place at the further end of the same long table (we were the only
people in the room). Aunt Mary looked for an instant a little
discomposed at the idea of lunching with her niece's hired mechanic, but
Miss Randolph, noticing this--she sees everything--shot me a welcoming
smile. Then the paying difficulty is an odious one. Of course, at the
end of the meal my bill goes to her, and she pays for me: "_Mecanicien_,
_dejeuner_----" so much. Picture it! Of course, I can't protest, as this
is the custom; but I am keeping a strict account of all her expenses on
my account, and one day shall square our accounts somehow--I don't at
present see how. I have formed the idea that by-and-by I may offer to
act also as courier, relieving her of the bother of making payments, and
so on. If I can work that, I'll deduct my own lot and pay it myself, the
chances being that as she is careless about money she won't notice that
I've done so, only thinking, perhaps, that I am a clever chap to run
things so cheaply.

There's another thing which gives me the "wombles," as those delightful
Miss Bryants used