he
fallen curl. Nature was honouring her darling. It was the accolade.

I could have sworn that behind me somebody breathed "Madonna!" but
although I swung round and peered into the bushes, I could see no one.

"When you've quite done," said Jill. Clearly she had noticed nothing.

I returned to my cousin.

"Yes," I said, "it's too short. Just a shade. As for you, you're much
too sweet altogether. Something'll have to be done about it. You'll
be stolen by fairies, or translated, or inveigled into an engagement,
or something."

Jill let her dress go and flung her arms round my neck.

"You and Berry and Jonah," she said, "are far too sweet to me. And----
Oh, I can see myself in your eye, Boy. I can really." For a moment
she stared at the reflection. "I don't think I look very nice," she
added gravely. "However..." She kissed me abstractedly and started to
fix the tress errant. "If Jonah asks you, don't say it's too short.
It's not good for him. I'll have it lengthened all right."

For the second time I began to relight my pipe...

After examining the scene of her downfall, the witch caught at a slip
of a bough and swung herself athletically to the top of the bank.
Thence she turned a glowing face in my direction.

"No, I shan't, after all," she announced. "It's much too convenient."

Twenty minutes later we reached the point from which we had set out.

Adele was awaiting us with Ping.

As soon as we saw her--

"Good Heavens!" cried Jill. "I quite forgot you were married. You
ought to have been with Adele." She ran to the car. "Adele darling,
what do you think of me?"

"I am blind," said Adele, "with jealousy. Anyone would be. And now
jump in. Berry has taken the others to look at La Barre, and we're to
follow them."

Such of the landscape as I was bearing was thereupon bestowed in the
boot, I followed my cousin into the car, and a few minutes later we
were at the mouth of the Adour. Here we left Ping beside Pong, and
proceeded to join three figures on the horizon, apparently absorbed in
the temper of a fretful sea.

As we tramped heavily over the shingle--

"You're not cross with me, Adele?"

"Why should I be, darling?"

"Well, you see," panted Jill, "I've known him so long, and he's still
so exactly the same, that I can't always remember----"

"That he's not your property?" said my wife. "But he is, and always
will be."

Jill looked at her gravely.

"But he's yours," s