said Berry's voice. "Two cheese-straws and a blob of French
mustard. Finder will be----" The crash of glass interrupted him.
"Don't move, Falcon, or you'll wreck the room. Besides, it'll soon be
dawn. The nights are getting shorter every day."

"Very good, sir," replied the butler.

"They'll bring some candles in a minute," said Daphne.

"What we really want," said my brother-in-law, "is a prismatic compass."

"What for?" said Jill.

"To take a bearing with. Then we should know where the port was, and I
could peel you a banana. Or would you rather suck it?"

"Brute!" said Jill, shuddering. "Oh, why is the dark so horrid?"

"The situation," said I, "calls for philosophy."

"True," said Berry. "Now, similarly placed, what would Epicurus have
done?"

"I think," said Adele, "he'd have continued his discourse, as if
nothing had happened."

"Good girl," said Jonah. "Any more queries about Pampeluna?"

"Yes," said my sister. "How exactly do we go?"

"We go," said I, "to St. Jean-Pied-de-Port. There we get a permit to
take the cars into Spain. Then we go over the mountains by Roncevaux.
It's a wonderful drive, they say, but the very deuce of a climb.
Pampeluna's about fifty kilometres from the top of the pass. If we get
off well, we ought to be there in time for tea."

"Easily," said Jonah. "It's only a hundred and twenty miles."

I shrugged my shoulders and resumed a surreptitious search for the
chocolates.

"I expect we shall strike some snow," I said.

"Snow?" cried Jill.

"Rather," said Berry. "And avalanches. The cars will be roped
together. Then, if one falls, it'll take the other with it. Will
somebody pass me the grape-tongs? I've found a walnut."

"Why on earth," said Daphne, "don't they bring some candles? Falcon!"

"Yes, madam?"

"Try to find the door, and go and see what they're doing."

"Very good, madam."

With infinite care the butler emerged from the room. As the door
closed--

"And now," said Adele, "I can't bear it any longer. Where _are_ the
chocolates?"

"My dear," said my sister, "I've been feeling for the wretched things
ever since the light went out. Hasn't anybody got a match?"

Nobody had a match.

At length----

"They can't have been put on the table," said Jill. "I've----"

"Here they are," said Berry.

"Where?"

"Here. Give me your pretty white hand."

"This isn't them," said Jill. "They're in---- Oh, you brute! You've
done it on