E-text prepared by D Alexander and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made available by Internet Archive (http://www.archive.org) Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 31472-h.htm or 31472-h.zip: (https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/31472/pg31472-images.html) or (https://www.gutenberg.org/files/31472/31472-h.zip) Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive. See http://www.archive.org/details/cynthiaschauffeu00traciala CYNTHIA'S CHAUFFEUR by LOUIS TRACY Author of The Wings of the Morning, A Son of the Immortals, Etc., Etc. Illustrations by Howard Chandler Christy New York Grosset & Dunlap Publishers Copyright, 1910, by Edward J. Clode Entered at Stationers' Hall [Illustration: "_There is no lovelier garden in England than at Wells Palace._"] CYNTHIA'S CHAUFFEUR By LOUIS TRACY The scene opens in London on Derby day. A lovely American girl and her English chaperon had engaged a chauffeur to take them in his car on a thousand miles run for ten days. On his way to keep the appointment the car met with an accident, and a young Englishman, the son of an earl, happened to be in the vicinity. The chauffeur had once been in his employ, and when he saw his distress at the possible loss of a good customer he thought it would be a fine lark to go himself, in the guise of a chauffeur, and take the ladies on their journey. The girl was beautiful and the pseudo chauffeur was young and romantic, and one of the strangest of love stories began. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. THE HIRED CAR 1 II. THE FIRST DAY'S RUN 23 III. SOME EMOTIONS--WITHOUT A MORAL 47 IV. SHADOWS--WITH OCCASIONAL GLEAMS 72 V. A FLURRY ON THE MENDIPS 94 VI. A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S VAGARIES 119 VII. WHEREIN CYNTHIA TAKES HER OWN LINE 143 VIII. BREAKERS AHEAD 167 IX. ON THE WYE 191 X. THE HIDDEN FOUNTS OF EVIL 216 XI. THE PARTING OF THE WAYS 239 XII. MASQUES, ANCIENT AND MODERN 260 XIII. WHEREIN WRATH BEGUILES GOOD JUDGMENT 283 XIV. --AND GOOD JUDGMENT YIELDS TO FOLLY 307 XV. THE OUTCOME 324 XVI. THE END OF ONE TOUR: THE BEGINNING OF ANOTHER 344 CYNTHIA'S CHAUFFEUR CHAPTER I THE HIRED CAR