eover, that we do as much for France as Lamy
did. If we had all gone to Africa, there might be more names on the
map, but there would be less food in the markets of Grasse and Cannes."

"Oh, for the ghost of Gray," commented the Artist "He would be face to
face with the 'unseen flower'--but not blushing!"

"A case of _auream quisquis mediocritatem diligit_," I answered.

We were getting classical as well as philosophical, and it was time to
go. To whom was the mediocrity?

CHAPTER XIII

FREJUS

The ride from Theoule to St. Raphael, by the Corniche de l'Esterel, gives
a feeling of satiety. The road along the sea is a succession of curves,
each one leading around a rocky promontory into a bay that causes you to
exclaim, "This is the best!" For thirty-five kilometers there is
constantly a new adjustment of values, until you find yourself at the
point where comparatives and superlatives are exhausted. The vehicle of
language has broken down. Recurrent adjectives become trite. When the
search for new ones is an effort, you realize that nature has imposed,
through the prodigal display of herself, a limit of capacity to enjoy.
Of copper rocks and azure sea; of mountain streams hurrying through
profusely wooded valleys; of cliffs with changing profiles; of conifers;
of enclosed parks, whose charm of undergrowth run wild and of sunlit
green tree-trunks successfully hides the controlling hand of man to the
uninitiated in forestry; of hedges and pergolas and ramblers and villas
and lighthouses and islets and yachts, we had our fill.

But at La Napoule a Roman milestone announced that we were on the road to
Forum Julii: and the very first thing that attracted us when we reached
St. Raphael was a bit of aqueduct on the promenade. It looked singularly
out of place right by the sea, and surrounded by an iron fence quite in
keeping with those of the hotels across the street. The inscription
(Third Republic, not Roman) told us that this portion of the aqueduct
from the River Siagne to Frejus was removed from its original emplacement
and set up here under the prefectship of Monsieur X, the subprefectship
of Monsieur Y, and the mayorship of Monsieur Z. The fishing village that
has rapidly grown into one of the most important "resorts" of the Riviera
claims distinction on historical grounds. Napoleon landed at St. Raphael
on his return from Elba. Gounod composed Romeo and Juliet here. General
Gallieni was cultivat