a little shiver went down my back as I caught sight of the pretty
captain's wife--her eyes red and swollen beneath the long widow's veil
that covered her face. That same hopeful little assembly of August
first had once again gathered on the station platform to take possession
of and to conduct to their last resting place the mortal remains of
their heroic defunct.

Naturally, as they did not expect us before six at the château, there
was no carriage to meet us.

"We'll take the hotel taxi as far as Charly, and from there we'll
telephone home," said H. as we got down from the train.

But there was neither hotel trap nor vehicle of any description at the
station. True it was that our train was nearly two hours late! The idea
of walking some four miles in the broiling sun was anything but amusing,
but there seemed to be nothing else to do. So after a quarter of an
hour uselessly spent in trying to get a carriage about our lonesome
station, we started off on foot. We had scarcely gone two hundred yards
when we caught sight of a PARISIAN taxi! H. hailed him!

"What are you doing down _here?_"

"I brought down a gentleman who was in a hurry. You see there are no
more trains out of Paris on this line since noon! And there are not
likely to be any for some time to come."

"Will you take us as far as Charly?"

"If it's on the way to Paris--yes! I'm in a hurry to get back. I've