pleasantest week we ever spent in England and she says:

"You haven't said a word about the races."

"So I haven't."

But they were there.

CHAPTER II

PARIS

"Now," said Jimmie as our train was pulling into Paris, "we are all
decided, are we not, that we shall stay in Paris only two days?"

His eyes met ours with apprehension and a determination that ended in a
certain amount of questioning in their glance.

"Certainly!" we all hastened to assure him. "Not over two days."

"Just long enough," said Jimmie, beamingly, "to have one lunch at the
Cafe Marguery for _sole a la Normande_--"

"And one afternoon at the Louvre to see the Venus and the Victory--" I
pleaded.

"And the Father Tiber--" added Jimmie, waxing enthusiastic.

"Yes, and one dinner at the Pavilion d'Armenonville to hear the
Tziganes--" said Bee.

"And one afternoon on the Seine to go to St. Cloud to see the brides
dance at the Pavilion Bleu, and a supper afterward in the open to have a
_poulet_ and a _peche flambee_."

Jimmie by this time was wriggling in ecstasy.

"And just time to order two or three gowns apiece and have one look at
hats," added Mrs. Jimmie, complacently.

"'Two or three gowns apiece and one look at hats,'" cried Jimmie. "And
how long will that take? We agreed on two days, and you never said a
word about clothes. That means a whole week!"

"Not at all, Jimmie," said Bee. "It's too late to do anything to-night.
To-morrow morning we'll go and look. In the afternoon we'll think it
over while we're doing the Louvre. It is always cool and quiet there,
and looking at statuary always helps me to make up my mind about
clothes. The next morning we'll go and order. In the afternoon we'll buy
our hats, and with one day more for the first fittings, I believe we
might manage and have the things sent after us to Baden-Baden."

"Not at all," put in Mrs. Jimmie. "They will never be satisfactory
unless we put our minds on the subject and give them plenty of time. We
must stay at least two days more. Give us four days, Jimmie."

I had to laugh at Jimmie's rueful face. He was about to remonstrate, but
Bee switched him off diplomatically by saying, in her most deferential
manner:

"What hotel have you decided on, Jimmie? It's such a comfort to be
getting to a Paris hotel. What one do you think would be best?"

Bee's tone was so flattering that Jimmie forgot clothes and said:

"Well, you know at the Binda you can get corn