ove your things in the back, will you?"

Anthony set down his suit-case and touched his hat. "Very good, sir,"
he said.

"Here," came the airy reply, "you mustn't 'sir' me. I'm the comic
chauffeur--your fellow-bondsman, to wit. Name of Alison." He extended
a firm brown hand. "Not to put too fine a point upon it, I'm
overwhelmed to meet you. With the slightest encouragement, I shall
fall upon your neck. The last footman was poor company, and took two
baths in three months. My wife didn't try to like him. She's the
parlour-maid."

Anthony took the other's hand like a man in a dream.

"I can't believe it," he said simply. "Is this a leg-pull?"

"No blinkin' fear," said Alison. "We're all in the same boat. What a
topping dog!"

Anthony felt inclined to fling his hat upon the ground and yell with
delight. Instead, he thrust his baggage into the car and, stepping in
front of the bonnet, took hold of the starting-handle.

"Is it safe?" he said, straddling. "Or will she go round with my hand?"

"Well, we do usually get some one to stand on the step," said Alison,
"but, if you like to risk it ..."

A moment later they were hurtling along a white-brown ribbon of road
that sloped sideways out of the valley and on to the top of the moor.

Alison chattered away light-heartedly.

"You see in me," he said, "the complete chauffeur. With my livery on
and two thousand five hundred pounds' worth of Rolls-Royce all round
me, I'm simply it. My only fear is that, when you turn out beside me,
the whole perishin' concern will be caught up to heaven. However, I
really think you'll be happy."

"I believe you," said Lyveden.

"Of course, I don't do much indoors, but Betty says the housework's
nothing. Anne agrees. She combines the duties of housemaid and my
sister. Oh, we're all in it, I warn you. Of course, we do old Bumble
and Mrs. Bumble proud. They deserve it. They're very kindly and
easy-going, and we always try and give them just a shade more than they
have a right to expect. He's a retired grocer and proud of it. Plenty
of money, no children. Very little entertaining. We have more
visitors in the servants' hall than they do in the drawing-room...."

The lazy voice purled on contentedly till the car leapt into a village
gathered about the road.

"Hawthorne, I take it," said Lyveden.

"Brother," said Alison, "I will not deceive you. This is indeed that
bourn from which no commercial traveller r