and the story was interrupted.

When he re-emerged I asked him why he didn't always examine his change.

"It's very difficult to remember to do so," he said, "and, besides, I am
not an expert. Anyway, it got worse and worse, and when a bad gold piece
came along I realised that I must do something so I wrote to the Chief
of the Police."

"In French?" I asked.

"No, in English--the language of honesty. I told him my own experiences.
I said that other English people whom I had met had testified to similar
trouble; and I put it to him that as a matter of civic pride--_esprit de
pays_--he should do his utmost to cleanse Paris of this evil. I added
that in my opinion the waiters were the worst offenders."

"Have you had a reply?" I asked.

"Not yet," he said, and having completed his toilet he made room for me.

I thought about him a good deal and sympathised not a little, for he
seemed a good sort of fellow and might possibly have had his
calculations as to expenditure considerably upset by his adventures. It
certainly was a shame!

Later, meeting him in the restaurant-car I asked him to show me his
store of bad money. I wanted to see for myself what those coins were
like.

"I haven't got them," he said.

"You sent them to the Chief of the Police with your letter, I suppose?"
I said.

"No, I didn't," he replied. "The fact is--well--as a matter of fact I
managed to work them all off again."

* * * * *

Illustration: "Curfew _shall not_ ring to-night."

* * * * *

"At the beginning of the season good bowling performances are not
unusual--batsmen get themselves out so easily--but Barratt's
bowling yesterday was better than his figures.... Five times
yesterday he broke right across the wicket from leg, but none of
those magnificent balls got wickets, perhaps because it was too
early in the season."--_Times._

The beginning of the season seems rather a tricky time.

* * * * *

"Death of Collar: Cobham Stud's severe loss."--_Yorkshire Post._

The converse of this accident occurred to us the other day, when our
Whitefriars collar lost its stud.

* * * * *

"Richard I.... at once began to prepare the third crusade. In 1190
he started, and reached Acre in June, 1911."

_"Everyman" Encyclopaedia._

Thus missing KING GEORGE Vth's Coronation.