simple lunch in no
more than half an hour. My Spanish is far worse even than my French, but
in spite of that we carried on an animated conversation in French and
English, Basque and Spanish. At lunch my talk grew more fluent and
Mariquita went more deeply into matters. She desired to know what I
thought of the Basques, of whom she was one, and a sudden flicker of the
deceitful imagination set me inventing. I told her that I was a Basque
myself, though I was also an Englishman. She exclaimed at this. She had
never heard of English Basques. How was it I did not speak it? This was
a sore point with me. I assured her of the shameful fact that the
English Basques had lost their own tongue; they were degenerate. I had
some thoughts of learning it in order to re-introduce it into England.
As soon as Mariquita had mastered this astounding story she hurried to
the kitchen, and as I heard her relating something with great
excitement, I have little doubt that a legend of English Basques is now
well on its way past historic doubt. Leaving her to consider the news I
had brought, I went out with my boatman to view the old town. I found it
quaint and individual and lovely.

A man who has seen much of the world must hold some places strangely and
essentially beautiful. My own favourite spots are Auckland, N. Z.; the
upper end of the Lake of Geneva; Funchal in Madeira; the valley of the
Columbia at Golden City and the valley of the Eden seen from Barras in
England. To these I can now add Fuentarabia, the Pyrenees and the
Bidassoa. I stood upon the roof of the old ruined palace of Charles Le
Quint, and on every point of the compass the view had most peculiar and
wonderful qualities. Beneath me was the increasing flood of the frontier
river: at my very feet lay the narrow and picturesque street canyons of
the ancient town; to the south was Irun in the shelter and shadow of the
mountains; east-south-east rose the pyramidal summit of Larhune; the
west was the sharp ridge of the brown Jaisquivel which hid San
Sebastian; to the north was the rolling Bay; and right to the south the
triple crown of Las Tres Coronas cut the sky sharply. Right opposite me
Hendaye burnt redly in the glow of the southern sun. In no place that I
can remember have I seen two countries, three towns, a range of
mountains, a big river and the sea at one time. And there was not a spot
in view that had not been stained with the blood of Englishmen.

But now there were n