is own ideas
of the way to do these things. He approached Lord Cholme, not with
a begging-letter, but with a proposal to finance this aeroplane
scheme. Cholme jumped at it, D'Aubigne says.

"We were standing in the workshop watching a young chap fitting a
piece of a new engine, when we heard the roar of the aeroplane.
Carville had started his engine before opening the doors. It was
deafening. We got outside just in time to see him leave the ground.
He made straight for the sea. D'Aubigne says he always does make
straight for the sea. He may come back from over Dengie Flats or
St. Osyth, but he always makes for Gunfleet and Kentish Knock
Lightship at first.

"D'Aubigne went into the drawing-office where he works out his
calculations and all that, and he got out a flask of Benedictine.
Over this, he told me some rather startling things about Carville.
D'Aubigne knows nothing about the girl you say is called Rosa, but
in addition to a dozen other more shadowy creatures, he says there
is a Gladys not far off, a thin girl of about thirty. Of course,
D'Aubigne is a Frenchman and takes the French view, but it
certainly seems to be a fact that Carville makes a hobby of women.

"Since then I have seen him frequently. Sometimes he and D'Aubigne
come over to tea with me, and if I would let them they would take
me for long spins across England. They work in spurts, and then
shut the place up for a day and tear round the country. Once I
heard the roar of a car, and looked out in time to see Carville
rush past, and there was undoubtedly a girl with him. Once, too, I
saw him in the air, far away over Layer Marney, going towards
Colchester. D'Aubigne says their machine will be ready soon. As far
as I can make out, whatever they do, _The Morning_ is to have
exclusive information.

"Do you know, it suddenly struck me that an aeroplane lends itself
extraordinarily well to etching? Carville missed the plank-road one
day in landing, and I saw the machine lying with a list in the
field near a rick. I made some notes, and when it is finished I'll
pull a proof and send it to you. I fancy it will be rather good. In
the clear transparent afternoon light of a late October day, with
the rick behind it, the great vans sprawled out over the hedge, the
corrugations