"
This did not strike me as a particularly brilliant remark, but Molly
seemed to find it witty, for she laughed merrily, with a certain
impish ring in her glee, reminiscent of the Little Pal in some moods.
Evidently she had exhausted her long list of questions, for, laughing
still, she twisted her slim body half round in the tonneau, turning a
shoulder upon us. I took this as a signal that Mercedes was now to
have her share of attention, and tactfully bestowed mine on Jack.
[Illustration]
CHAPTER XXVIII
The World without the Boy
"A . . . somewhat headlong carriage."
--R.L. STEVENSON.
Though I had given Molly eyes and ears during her long catechism, I
had been vaguely aware, nevertheless, that on leaving the Hotel de
France we had crossed a bridge over the almost dry and pebbly bed of
the insignificant Leysse; that we had passed the stately elephants,
and a robust marble lady typifying France in the act of receiving on
her breast a slender Savoie; that we had caught a last glimpse of the
chateau, and were spinning along a well-kept road, cheek by jowl with
the railway to Lyons.
From a high mountain on our left, the silver Cascade de Coux fell
vertically, like a white horse's tail; and I smiled to see, as we
flashed by, a little house which honoured a valiant foe against whom I
had fought, with the name of the Cafe de Boers.
Pages:
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366