g the winter there, and wired
for instructions. Within three days we had received four letters.

The first was from Jill.

_ADELE DARLING,_

_How sweet of you both to think of it! We're all simply thrilled. Try
and get one with a palm-tree and some wistaria. We miss you awfully.
Tell Boy Nobby is splendid and sends his love. Oh, and he smells his
coat every day. Isn't it pathetic P My hair won't go like yours, but
I'm going to try again. All our love to you and your HUSBAND,_

_JILL._

Then came Jonah's.

_DEAR BOY,_

_What about tobacco? You might examine the chances of smuggling. I'm
sending you a hundred cigarettes conspicuously labelled BENGER'S FOOD,
to see what happens. I suppose the roads are pretty bad. What about
fishing?_

_Yours,
JONAH._

(I subsequently received a curt communication to the effect that there
was a package, addressed to me and purporting to contain "Farine,"
lying at the local custom-house. Adele was horrified. I endeavoured
to reassure her, tore up the notice, and cursed my cousin savagely.
When three days had passed, and I was still at liberty, Adele plucked
up heart, but, for the rest of our visit, upon sight of a gendarme she
was apt to become distrait and lose the thread of her discourse.)

A letter from Daphne had arrived the next day.

_DEAREST ADELE,_

_We're all delighted with the idea._

_I don't think six months would be too long. I agree that a villa
would be much the best, and we're perfectly content to leave the
selection to you. You know what room we must have. I suppose two
bathrooms would be too much to expect. About servants: we can bring
some, but I think we ought to have a French cook to do the marketing,
and perhaps one other to keep her company and help in the kitchen and
house. Will you see what you can do? Plate and linen, of course, we
can bring. By the way, Madge Willoughby tells me that last year in
France they had some difficulty about coal; so tell Boy to see if he
can order some now. All this, of course, if you can get a villa._

_Your loving sister,
DAPHNE._

Berry's came last.

_DEAR BROTHER,_

_So we shall ourselves winter this year at Pau?_ Eh bien! _There are,
perhaps, worse places. At least, the sun will shine. Ma foi, to think
that upon you depend all the arrangements._ Tant pis! _My suite must
face itself south and adjoin the bathroom. Otherwise I cannot answer
for my health, o