ap?"

Together Adele and I pored over the sections.

"If," said Berry, "you're going to direct me to turn off, for Heaven's
sake be quick about it. At the present moment I'm just blinding along
into the blue and, for all I know, an oversized hornets' nest. Of
course they mayn't sting when there's an 'r' in the month, but then
they mightn't know that. Or am I thinking of oysters?"

"They'll stop us at Vendome," said I. "Not before. Right oh! We must
turn to the right at Cloyes and make for St. Calais. We can get round
to Tours that way. It'll take us about twenty miles out of our way,
but----"

"Yes, and when we don't show up at Vendome, they'll wire to Calais.
Seriously, as Shakespeare says, I'm all of a doo-dah."

That we should be stopped at St. Calais was not likely, and I said as
much. What did worry me, because it was far more probable, was that
when they drew blank at Vendome, the authorities would telephone to
Tours. Any apprehension, however, regarding our reception at that city
was soon mercifully, unmercifully, and somewhat paradoxically
overshadowed by a more instant anxiety lest we should never arrive
there at all. From the moment we left the main road, the obstacles in
the shape of uncharted roads and villages, pavements, cattle, goats, a
horse fair, and finally a series of appalling gradients, opposed our
passage. All things considered, my brother-in-law drove admirably.
But it was a bad business, and, while my wife and Berry were very
staunch, I think we all regretted that I had been so high with Blue
Nose.

Night had fallen ere we slunk into Tours.

Fully expecting to find that the others had well-nigh given us up, we
were astounded to learn at the hotel that Ping had not yet arrived.
Indeed, we had finished dinner, and were debating seriously whether we
should take a hired car and go to seek them, when there was a flurry of
steps in the corridor, Nobby rushed to the door, and the next moment
Daphne and Jill burst into the room.

"My darling," said Berry, advancing, "where on earth have you been?"

My sister put her arms about his neck and looked into his eyes.

"Kiss me 'Good-bye,'" she said. "Jonah's just coming."

Her husband stared at her. Then--

"Is it as bad as all that?" he said. "Dear, dear. And how did he get
the booze?"

Somebody cleared his throat.

I swung round, to see Jonah regarding us.

"You three beauties," he said. "Four with Nobby."

"But what do