aid Valerie.

Lady Touchstone stared at her.

"My dear," she said, "what you want is a change. You have just
witnessed what I hope is the most flagrant miscarriage of justice of
recent years, you have seen twelve fools bamboozled by a knave, you
have heard a friend of yours grossly insulted, and you ask me what's
the matter." The car swung round a corner, and Lady Touchstone, who
was unready, heeled over with a cry. "I wish Mason wouldn't do that,"
she added testily, dabbing at her _toque_. "So subversive of dignity.
What was I saying? Oh yes. A change. We'd better go to Nice."

Before Miss French could reply, a deafening report from beneath them
announced the dissolution of another tire.

Mason brought the car to the side of the road. Then he applied the
hand-brake and alighted heavily to inspect the damage.

With a resigned air, Lady Touchstone sat awaiting his report.

Valerie began to laugh.

"Shall I tell you what he's doing?" she said.

Her aunt regarded her.

"I presume he's staring at the wheel," she said shortly. "Though of
what interest a deflated tire can be to anybody passes my
comprehension."

"Not at all," said her niece. "Mason is trying to make up his mind to
tell you that we shall have to walk home. He only brought one spare
cover, and we've used that."

Lady Touchstone glanced at her watch.

"And the Billows," she said grimly, "are coming to lunch in twenty
minutes." She raised her voice. "All right, Mason. Miss Valerie's
broken it to me. Stop the first vehicle that approaches and ask them
to give us a lift."

"Very good, my lady."

"Supposing," said Valerie, "it's a milk-float."

"So much the better," replied her aunt. "I've always wanted to ride in
a milk-float. It's the survival of the Roman chariot." Placidly she
settled herself in her corner and closed her eyes. "Dear me. What a
relief it is not to be moving! If only the Billows weren't coming...."

Neither she nor Valerie heard the approach of the Rolls. Indeed, it
was not until George Alison, in response to Mason's signals, was
bringing the great blue car actually alongside that the ladies realized
that help was at hand.

The sight of Anthony Lyveden alighting to take his master's orders
chilled Valerie as the breath of a crypt. Her aunt, on the contrary,
was plainly as pleased as Punch at the encounter....

So soon as Mr. Bumble appreciated that it was the quality of Bell
Hammer who sought his assi