Ethelberta. 'Let us go to the platform
at the base of the fleche, and wait for a view there.'

'With all my heart,' said her attentive companion.

They passed in at a door and up some more stone steps, which landed them
finally in the upper chamber of the tower. Lord Mountclere sank on a
beam, and asked smilingly if her ambition was not satisfied with this
goal. 'I recollect going to the top some years ago,' he added, 'and it
did not occur to me as being a thing worth doing a second time. And
there was no fog then, either.'

'O,' said Ethelberta, 'it is one of the most splendid things a person can
do! The fog is going fast, and everybody with the least artistic feeling
in the direction of bird's-eye views makes the ascent every time of
coming here.'

'Of course, of course,' said Lord Mountclere. 'And I am only too happy
to go to any height with you.'

'Since you so kindly offer, we will go to the very top of the spire--up
through the fog and into the sunshine,' said Ethelberta.

Lord Mountclere covered a grim misgiving by a gay smile, and away they
went up a ladder admitting to the base of the huge iron framework above;
then they entered upon the regular ascent of the cage, towards the hoped-
for celestial blue, and among breezes which never descended so low as the
town. The journey was enlivened with more breathless witticisms from
Lord Mountclere, till she stepped ahead of him again; when he asked how
many more steps there were.

She inquired of the man in the blue blouse who accompanied them. 'Fifty-
five,' she returned to Lord Mountclere a moment later.

They went round, and round, and yet around.

'How many are there now?' Lord Mountclere demanded this time of the man.

'A hundred and ninety, Monsieur,' he said.

'But there were only fifty-five ever so long ago!'

'Two hundred and five, then,' said the man. 'Perhaps the mist prevented
Mademoiselle hearing me distinctly?'

'Never mind: I would follow were there five thousand more, did
Mademoiselle bid me!' said the exhausted nobleman gallantly, in English.

'Hush!' said Ethelberta, with displeasure.

'He doesn't understand a word,' said Lord Mountclere.

They paced the remainder of their spiral pathway in silence, and having
at last reached the summit, Lord Mountclere sank down on one of the
steps, panting out, 'Dear me, dear me!'

Ethelberta leaned and looked around, and said, 'How extraordinary this
is. It is sky above, below, everywh