"Now for some red tape," explained Terry. "When I came to the Riviera this season I had no idea of going further, and I'm sorry to say I left my papers in London, where apparently they've disappeared. But as the Countess doesn't care to come back into France, I hope it won't matter much." As he spoke, a _douanier_ lounged out of his little whitewashed lair, and asked for that which Terry had just said he had not. "I have no papers," Terry informed him, with a smile so agreeable that one hoped it might take away the sting. "But you intend to return to France?" persisted the official, who evidently gave even a foreigner credit for wishing to rush back to the best country on earth with as little delay as possible. "No," said Terry apologetically. "We are on our way to Italy and Austria, and may go eventually to England by the Hook of Holland." The _douanier_ gave us up as hopeless, with a resigned shrug of his shoulders. He vanished into his lair, consulted a superior officer, and after a long delay returned with the news that we must pay ten centimes, probably as a penance for our mulish stupidity in leaving France. I dropped a penny into his palm. "Will you have a receipt for this sum?" he asked. "No, thanks," I smiled. "I have infinite trust in your integrity." "Perhaps we'd better get the receipt all the same," said Terry. "I've never been paperless before, and there may be some fuss or other." "It took them twenty minutes to decide about their silly ten centimes," said the Countess "and it will take them twenty more at least to make out a receipt for it. Do let's go on, if he'll let us. I'm dying to see what's on the other side of this bridge. We haven't been over into Italy before; there was so much to do in Nice and Monte Carlo." "All right, we'll risk it, then, as you wish it," Terry agreed; and our prophetic souls did not even turn over in their sleep. On we went, up the steep hill which, with our load, we were obliged to climb so slowly that Terry and I were ashamed for the car, and tried diplomatically to make it appear that, had we liked, we could have flown up with undiminished speed. [Illustration: _As he spoke a douanier lounged out of his little whitewashed lair_] Terry pointed out objects of interest here and there. I questioned him rapidly and he, playing into my hand, answered as quickly, so that, if our wheels lagged, our tongues gave the effect of keeping up a rattling pace.