My Friend the Chauffeur

say that she could not possibly be ready until Friday, and that as Friday was an unlucky day to begin any enterprise, we had better put off starting u

d there was more in the delay than met the eye. My fancy showed me the hand of Prince Dalmar-Kalm, and I

ut the arrangement they had entered into with us. But Thursday passed, and nothing happened. Friday wore on towards evening, and the constant strain upon my nerves had made me irritable. Terry,

inent defects, and shedding cigarette ashes into his suit

-she's got her coronet. It's on

," said the future chauffeur,

an's intentions by what she says. She wants to know whether the arrangement stands, that we're to call for them at ten o'clock t

g things, and all the linen it would hold without bursting asunder, into a large, fitted suit-case. Terry had a suit-case too, five times better than mine (Irishmen in debt always do have thi

, until the fateful day of the advertisement, but immediately after our luncheon with the Countess he had walked down to the garage and stayed until dinner-time. What he had been doing there he did not deign to state; but I had a dim idea that when you went to call on a motor-car in its den, you spent hours on your back bolting nuts, or accelerating silencers, or put

have his car smartened up to suit the taste of the Countess; but, with

glossy grey, still smelling of turpentine. The tyres were new, and white, and a pair of spare ones

had been re-covered also with grey, and wherever a

down the path, armed with the two coats and suit-cases, there to be su

lost in admiration of a tall, slim, yet athletic figure, clad from head to

's awfully smart, and very becoming-never saw you look better in your life. But it's-er-a kind of masquerade,

intend to look the part as well as act it. I want this car to be as smart as it can, which unfortunately isn't

st a beauty," I replied. But I thought you were determined to

" Terry confessed rather sheepishly. "There was so li

, for your long and

. I was always a lazy beggar, I'm afraid, and it was better fun to smoke and watch my man Collet making or fitting in a new part than to bother with it myself. This will be

onsibility I was throwing on you, old chap, when I named you as my chauffeur. Except for my drives with you, I suppose I haven't been in a motor half a dozen times in

, but to go into a mechanic's shop and make a new one. I don't say that I can do that, but I can come a bit nearer to it than I could five days

uffeur, that I did not stint my commendation of him and his car. Félicité, too, was prolific in compliments. The duck, who had waddled out to the gate to see wha

in until I returned to the Riviera to open the autumn season with the first number of the Sun. Then one last

s its speed at best, and this pace it seemed had been far surpassed by newer cars of the same make, though of no higher power, since Terry's had been built. This fact I took for granted, as I had heard it f

doing anything to this car, to make her f

otored for a long time that you imagine we're going fast. The motor's workin

r the rest of creation," I retorted, cramming on my cap and wishing I had covered my tearful eyes with the motor-go

ll for me in the end, as things were to turn out. We spun down the avenue of pines, a

al. But that pleasant delusion died almost as soon as born. As the group divided at our approach we saw that they had been collected rou

bonnet was like a helmet of gold for the goddess Minerva, and wherever there was space, or chance, for som

ll round with a curly fringe. The poles which held it were apparently of glittering gold, and the railing designed to hold lugga

sun-spot, even when a later one was stamped upon it. Three figures in long, grey motor-coats, exactly alike,

nt on the former, excitedly. "We've been admiring the Prince's car, which came last night. Isn't it a perfect beau

ool grey, and even in wind or dust it will always look neat

ot help knowing in our hearts that no normal girl could help preferring that celestial peacock to our grey hen, and that Miss Destrey's wish to be kind must have ou

uffeur of a peculiarly solemn cast of countenance. Now he turned a

which became him excellently, struck me as ominous. Had he caught the birds-our b

your friend are clever men, but you will need all your cleverness to provide comfortable accommodation for these ladies'

ind," responded Terry promptly, those la

l fun," laughed the Countess, show

aken in earnest. "A thousand francs against a hundred of yours shall it be, Monsieur? I don't

. "Now for the test. Your lug

t hotel porters who stood in the background heavily laden. "Dear me, it

I made out that their load consisted of one good-sized "Innovation" cabin box, two enormous alligator

was owing either to her sense of honour or her liking for the English-speaking races over foreigners, even princely ones. But refusing to abandon hope, His Highness had pinned his last fluttering rag of faith upon the chance that our car would fail to fulfil its contract. With this

had felt at "Monte" when, at roulette, as many as three of my hard-won five franc pieces might easily go "bang," like

eagerly watching, I flung myself into conver

d the Infant. "But e

e Prince?" I was g

think yo

ould I

thinking the same things I am. I don't know whether that makes me like you or hat

that. But abou

got his automobile jus

; but maybe it wo

it would.

lawyer in Denver on Tuesday, and paid down s

t time. The 'something' wa

he

with eyes to open or shut, and poor Mamma hasn't had any chance to play dolls till just lately. She's busy now having heaps of fun, and I'm having a little, too, in my simp

nt Barrymore and m

ff with us from under his nose. There was his automobile in Paris, and there wa

uncle?"

to plan. The first thing he did was to tell Mamma that he had a surprise for her, which he'd been getting ready for several days, and it would be spoiled if we all went off with you and that awfully good-looking chauffe

explanation of

ples makes people so soft and good-natured. I don't know what t

e, had the car got out of the clutches of that relati

rrived here last night, it was ju

st have com

me accident might happen to it on the way, and upset all his

our brain develop too fast," I pl

to worry yet," Miss Kidder remarked demur

ou talk mo

hat do you know about

e you, because all the rest got broken; but i

est too, I guess. I wonder

I should have thought all his tim

friend of his in this hotel? The friend's wife told her maid, and she passed it on to our Agnes, who repeated it to me because we were sending her away. 'Kid, Kidder, Kiddest

ther all this mass of worldly wisdom at thirte

retch. And what lengths this indecently frank conversation might have reache

e I won the bet?" he was demanding, his hands in the pock

e bet both lost before the test had been essayed. But he had justified my faith, and there on the al

seats of the tonneau, which fortunately was of generous dimensions, while the third and smallest one (no doubt Miss Destrey's) was so placed that it could be used as a footstool, or pushed to the front out of the way. Umbrellas

y's question with ribald mirth befor

Ha, ha, the automobile looks like nothing so much as a market-woman going home with the family provisions for a month. But will she ever get home?" Here he became spasmodic, and as he had made

o weapons handy except the ladies' hatpins. Still, it was useless denying it, the car looked, if not like a market-woman, at least like a disreputable old tramp of the motor world, with its wreaths of luggage looped o

en his mirthful explosions. "Chère Countess, do not let your kind heart run away with you. Let me tell Sir Ralph Moray that it is impossible for you to tour with him under

r even with my slight knowledge of her character, I guessed that she had dreamed of the sensation the departure en automobile of a party so distinguished would create at the hotel. She had confidingly judged the charms of the advertised ca

automobile is just as nice as it can be, and it's our fault, not his, or Mr. Barrymore's, if we've got a little more luggage than we

I'm glad Papa married you,"

eally graceful," said Miss Destrey. "Mr. Barrymore h

whistled "Hail, the Conquering Hero" sotto voce, as Dalmar-Kalm, with a

bad bargain, "you are three brave ladies to trust yourselves

eph, who, Agnes told me, looks after travellers," said Beechy. "But

of soldiers," returned the Prince, with his air of grand seigneur. "That is, I shall keep as near you as a twenty

ntary to Mamma," glibly r

f rope which may prove useful for towing the Prince's car over some of those Alps he seems to think so formidable,

And mine is the handsomest car the company

oncerns us or not, but we shall perhaps remember it sooner or later. Now, ladies, I think everything is shipshape, and t

on in case anything happened!" exclaimed Mrs. Kidder; "and I couldn't

hurriedly told myself, "I might far better have let him sell his car and grow ost

s. "You ladies had better have it all to yourselves, and then you can be comfortable. Te

h room as Maida does in her thick motor-coa

m not afraid!

f Sir Ralph sat with us, Beechy," went o

Vestal Virgin (looking incredibly interesting with her pure face and dark eyes framed with the motor-hood) helped to seat herself in fatal proximity to my unfortunat