mmand a large
capital, he had D'Aubigne over, and between them they are going to
boom a new long-distance machine. D'Aubigne's admiration of
Carville almost amounts to worship. He told me that when Carville
went over his place at Avranches, he spent about ten minutes
looking over a monoplane, and then climbed into the seat. 'Set it
away,' he said. D'Aubigne was perplexed. 'This won't carry two,' he
argued. 'No,' said Carville, 'I'm going to try it by myself. Set it
away.' I have told you how domineering he is. D'Aubigne started the
engine, and, so he says, crossed himself. Carville was off, and in
another minute he was heading for St. Malo. D'Aubigne says some of
his volplanes were agonizing to watch. When he turned he went out
over, the sea, but it seems this was not because he was afraid of
falling, but because he wanted to get a nearer view of a steam
yacht riding off Granville. He came down on the shingle and smashed
the thing badly, but he was busy studying the wreck when they came
up to him. It never occurred to Carville to cross himself.
D'Aubigne is a big yellow-haired Norman, and his eyes fairly goggle
when he gets going on Carville. Personally I believe they've both
been bad eggs in their time. When I spoke to him of your letter he
pulled down the corners of his mouth and wrinkled his nose. 'Ah!'
he said. 'It's quite possible. Many things happen to men like
Carville. You know he was in the war with the Boers?' I said, no I
didn't, and he told me that Carville had rushed to South Africa,
just as thousands of others had done. He, however, had the devil's
own luck; saved an officer's life, a man in the Imperial Yeomanry,
named Cholme. Cholme was a pal of Belvoir's at Charterhouse. It
seems Cholme gave Carville a letter to Lord Cholme, in case
anything happened, you know. Something did happen and Cholme was
killed at Spion Kop. Carville never got a scratch. When he came
home he took the letter to Lord Cholme, and the old chap told him
to ask what he liked. The old man is a pretty rough employer (he
owns _The Morning_), but he had a royal way with his son. Carville
said he didn't want anything, but might have a favour to ask some
day. Well, it seems it was an interview with Cholme that he was
after when I met him in Huntingdonshire, but he has h