I wish I could
say the same of others nearer to me."

"Of course, Sir Samuel, after what's happened, you wouldn't want me to
stay in your employ, any more than I would want to stay," said Jack.
"Unfortunately the Aigle will be hung up two or three days, till new
pinions can be fitted in, at the garage. I can send them out from Paris,
if you like; but no doubt you'll prefer to have my engagement with you
to come to an end to-day. Mr. Stokes has driven the car, and can again."

"Not if I have anything to say about it," murmured her ladyship.
"Scattering the poor thing's teeth all over the place!"

"There are plenty of good chauffeurs to be got at short notice in
Paris," Jack suggested, "and you are certain to find one by the time
you're ready to start."

"You're right, Dane. We'll have to part company," said Sir Samuel. "As
for Elise here--"

"She'll have to go too," broke in her ladyship. "It's most inconvenient,
and all your stepson's fault--though she's far from blameless, in my
humble opinion, whatever yours may be. Don't tell me that a young man
will go about flirting with lady's maids unless they encourage him!"

"I shall leave of course, immediately," said I, my ears tingling.

"Who wants you to do anything else? Though nobody cares for _my_
convenience. _I_ can always go to the wall. But thank heaven there are
maids in Paris as well as chauffeurs. And talking of that combination,
my advice to you is, if Dane's willing to have you, don't turn up your
nose at him, but marry him as quickly as you can. I suppose even in your
class of life there's such a thing as _gossip_."

I was scarlet. Somehow I got out of the room, and while I was scurrying
my few belongings into my dressing bag, and spreading out the red satin
frock to leave as a legacy to Lady Turnour (in any case, nothing could
have induced me to wear it again), Sir Samuel sent me up an envelope
containing a month's wages, and something over. I enclosed the
"something over" in another envelope, with a grateful line of refusal,
and sent it back.

Thus ends my experience as a motor maid!

* * * * *

What was going to become of me I didn't know, but while I was jamming in
hatpins and praying for ideas, there came a knock at the door. A
pencilled note from the late chauffeur, signed hastily, "Yours ever,
J.D.," and inviting me down to the couriers' dining-room for a
conference. There would be no one there but ourselves a