ays glad of an opportunity to fling business cares
aside. She explained that the inn was much affected by cottagers in
neighboring summer settlements and that many of the diners had motored
in for the dance. Seebrook and Walters were undoubtedly enjoying the
Governor, proof of which was immediately forthcoming when Seebrook
suggested that they should all dine together.

"You do us much honor," said the Governor. "Mr. Comly and I shall be
pleased, I'm sure."

Archie had often eaten alone in just such pleasant little inns from
sheer lack of courage to make acquaintances, but it seemed the most
natural thing in the world for the Governor to establish himself on
terms of intimacy with perfect strangers. Their party was the merriest
in the room, and Archie was aware of envious glances from other tables
that were not enlivened by a raconteur so affable and amusing as the
Governor.

"It's so nice to stumble into a place like this where every one may
speak to every one else and be _sure_, you know!" said Miss Seebrook.

"It does rather strengthen one's faith in the human race," Archie
agreed, reflecting that if she had known that upstairs in the amiable
Mr. Saulsbury's room reposed fifty thousand dollars of stolen money her
confidence in the exclusiveness of the Cornford Inn would have been
somewhat shaken. But the ironic humor of the whole thing overmastered
his sense of guilt and he managed to hold the table for a little while
without the Governor's assistance as he talked of the French chateaux
with honest knowledge. The Seebrooks had motored through the chateau
country the year before the war and as Archie had once made the
excursion with an architect he was on firm ground.

"There's a thorough man for you!" exclaimed the Governor proudly when
Archie supplied some dates in French history for which Miss Seebrook
fumbled.

They continued their talk over coffee served in the garden. When the
music began Seebrook and Walters recalled a bridge engagement and the
Governor announced that he must look up an old friend who lived in
Cornford. He produced a piece of paper on which he had scratched one of
the diagrams he was eternally sketching as though consulting a
memorandum of an address.

"I shall be back shortly," he said as they separated in the office.

Seebrook and Walters found their bridge partners and Archie and Miss
Seebrook joined the considerable company that were already dancing. Only
a few days earlier nothin