he says, would be
most rude. Unofficially, I'm--well, I'm at your service. If I'd known
you were coming, I'd have been here before. I'm attached to Madrid,
really, but I'm putting in six weeks here--for my sins."

"You're very kind," said Berry. "Incidentally, you're a godsend--the
second we've had to-day. The first, I may say, lies in five feet of
water on a particularly blasted mountain-side. But don't be
disconcerted. We shouldn't think of drowning you. For one thing,
you're much too valuable. And now sit down, and have some cold coffee
and a glass of kummel."

As he sank into a seat--

"Mr. Hallilay," said Daphne, twittering, "I can't bear it. _Why are we
here?_"

The boy looked at her curiously. Then--

"Well," he said, "there was no other place. Even if the Grand had been
open, I gather it's hardly fit.... Of course there's been the most
awful mix-up. Trust Spain for that. The Post Office knew they
couldn't deliver the wire. Instead of telling somebody, or
communicating with Pau, they let it lie in the office till this
afternoon. Then they took it to the mayor. Of course he nearly died.
But, being a man of action, he got a move on. He flew round here and
laid the facts before the steward--the owner happens to be away--and
arranged to put this house at your disposal. Then he rushed round,
borrowed a couple of cars, and spent what time he had left splitting
his brain over your wire and hovering between the station and the
various approaches to Pampeluna. As an inevitable result, he missed
you, and when he finally had the brain-wave of inquiring at the Grand
and found you'd already arrived, he nearly shot himself."

"But why--I mean," I stammered, "it's devilish good of the mayor and
you and everyone, but why--in the first place, why did the Post Office
take the wire to the mayor?"

Hallilay raised his eyebrows.

"Well," he said slowly, "when they saw the telegram, they realised----"

"Who sent the wire?" said Berry.

"I did," said Jonah. "I said,

_Retenez lundi soir, deux grandes deux petites chambres avec salle de
bain en suite, arrive en auto._

_MANSEL."_

For a moment I thought the boy was going to faint. Then he covered his
face and began to shake with laughter....

Presently he plucked a form from his pocket, unfolded it, and handed it
to me.

"That may have been what you sent," he said jerkily, "but here's how
the wire arrived."

_Retenez lundi soir, deux g