"I know, but he'll get through somehow. I'll sit by his side. It'll shorten my life, of course, but what else can we do? Even if Fitch was here, there's no room for a chauffeur. And you'd find towing tedious after the first five hundred miles." With a white forefinger to her lips, my sister regarded me. "I know he's a disgrace," she said slowly, "but he's--he's the only husband I've got, Boy, and--he has his points," she concluded softly with the tenderest smile. I stretched out a hand and drew her towards me. "Isn't he my only brother, darling? Isn't he--Berry? I'll see he comes to no harm." "You really think it's safe?" "Perfectly. For one thing, I shall be able to reach the hand-brake rather more easily than he will...." My sister kissed me. "I like the sound of that," she said cheerfully. It was the fifth day of November, and all six of us were for the Pyrenees. A month ago Adèle and I, new-wed, had visited Pau. We had found the place good, conceived the idea of spending the winter there, and wired for instructions. Within three days we had received four letters. The first was from Jill. _ADÈLE DARLING,_ _How sweet of you both to think of it! We're all simply thrilled. Try and get one with a palm-tree and some wistaria. We miss you awfully. Tell Boy Nobby is splendid and sends his love. Oh, and he smells his coat every day. Isn't it pathetic P My hair won't go like yours, but I'm going to try again. All our love to you and your HUSBAND,_ _JILL._ Then came Jonah's. _DEAR BOY,_ _What about tobacco? You might examine the chances of smuggling. I'm sending you a hundred cigarettes conspicuously labelled BENGER'S FOOD, to see what happens. I suppose the roads are pretty bad. What about fishing?_ _Yours, JONAH._ (I subsequently received a curt communication to the effect that there was a package, addressed to me and purporting to contain "Farine," lying at the local custom-house. Adèle was horrified. I endeavoured to reassure her, tore up the notice, and cursed my cousin savagely. When three days had passed, and I was still at liberty, Adèle plucked up heart, but, for the rest of our visit, upon sight of a gendarme she was apt to become distrait and lose the thread of her discourse.) A letter from Daphne had arrived the next day. _DEAREST ADÈLE,_ _We're all delighted with the idea._