“It wasn’t entirely for you,” he said.  “One owes some things to oneself.  But when we get to Avignon, and it’s settled between you and Lady Turnour, promise to let me know what you mean to do and give me a chance to advise you.”

I promised.  But I was so melancholy as to the future and so ashamed of myself for the trouble brought upon my only friend, that his efforts to cheer me were hopeless as an attempt to let off wet fireworks.  Mine were soaked; and instead of admiring the moonlight, which soon flooded the wild landscape, it made me the more dismal.

The drive by day had seemed short, but now it was long, for I was in haste to begin the expected battle.

“Courage! and be wise,” said Mr. Dane, as he helped me out of the car in front of the Hotel de l’Europe.  “I shall bring up your dinner again—­it’s no use saying you don’t want anything—­and we’ll exchange news.”

When lions have to be faced, my theory is that the best thing is to open the cage door and walk in boldly, not crawl in on your knees, saying:  “Please don’t eat me.”

I expected Lady Turnour to have a fine appetite for any martyrs lying about loose, but to my surprise a faint “Come in!” answered my dauntless knock, and I beheld her prostrate in bed.

She said that I had nearly killed her, and that she would probably not be able to move for a week; but the story of my adventures with the gipsy interested her somewhat, and she brightened when she heard of the old coins found in a hole in the rock.  There was not a word about sending me away, and I suspected that a scene with Sir Samuel had crushed the lady.  Even a worm will turn, and Sir Samuel may be one of those mild men who, when once roused, are capable of surprising those who know them best.  Quite meekly she desired that I would show her the coins, and having seen them, she said that she would buy them off me.  Not that they were of any intrinsic value, but they might be “lucky,” and she would give me a sovereign for the three.

Then an idea came and whispered in my ear.  I thanked Lady Turnour politely, but said I thought I had better keep the coins and show them to an antiquary.  They might be more valuable than we supposed, and I should need all the money, as well as all the luck possible, now that I was leaving her ladyship’s service.

“Leaving!” she echoed.  “But as you had an accident I’ve made up my mind to excuse you this time, and not discharge you as I intended.  You don’t know your business too well, but any maid is better than no maid on a tour like this, as Sir Samuel pointed out to me.”

“But, begging your ladyship’s pardon,” I ventured, “I understand that the chauffeur is to go because he stopped at Les Baux to look for me.  As he very likely saved my life, I couldn’t be so ungrateful as to stay on in my situation when he is losing his for my sake.”

“What nonsense!” snapped her ladyship.  “As if that had anything to do with you, and if it has, it oughtn’t.  Besides, if he will apologize, he can stop.  Sir Samuel says so.”