to leave here in the heat of the day, don't you
think so?" said Jack. "Much better if we all stopped on, did some
sightseeing, and then Molly and I bade you good speed about half-past
seven to-morrow morning."

"But, Lightning Conductor, you forget we can't stay. You know--_the
letters_," said Molly, with one of those deep, meaning glances which
her lovely eyes had more than once sent Jack, when there was some
question as to our ultimate parting. My heart invariably responded to
this glance with a pang, as a nerve responds to electricity. She
wished to go away with her Lightning Conductor, and leave me at the
mercy of a mule. Well, I would accept my lonely lot without
complaining, but not without silently reflecting that happy lovers are
selfish beings at best.

The forlorn consciousness that I was of superlative importance to no
one was heavy upon me. I wanted somebody to care a great deal what
became of me, and evidently nobody did. I was horribly homesick at
breakfast, and the Winstons' gaiety in the face of our parting seemed
the last straw in my burden. Perhaps Molly saw this straw in my eyes,
for she looked at me half wistfully for a moment, and then said, "If
we weren't sure this walking trip of yours will do you more good than
anything else, we wouldn't let you leave us, for we have loved having
you. We'll write to you at Aosta, where you will be staying for a
couple of days, and give you our itinerary, with lots of addresses. By
that time, you too will have made up your mind about your route. You
will have decided whether to branch off among the bye-ways, or go
straight on south, although you mustn't go _too_ quickly, and get
there too early----"

"I don't believe I shall have made up my mind to anything in Aosta,"
said I gloomily. "I feel that I shall still be unequal to that, or any
other mental effort, and what is to become of me, Heaven, Joseph, and
Finois alone know."

"Now, isn't it funny, I feel exactly the opposite? Something seems to
tell me that at Aosta, if not before, you will, so to speak, 'read
your title clear,'" said Molly, with aggravating cheerfulness. "As
soon as you've settled what way to take, you must write or wire; and
who knows but by-and-bye we shall cross each other's path again, on
the road to the Riviera?"

I revived a little. "I don't think you told me that you were going to
run down there. Jack was talking about keeping mostly to Switzerland,
I thought."

"But Switzerland