Any dinner, although it may have a flavor which the food and drink
themselves, no matter how good, cannot give, must draw to an end, and
when the dessert had been served and eaten John looped back the heavy
curtain still further and looked out at the white cataract.

"The snowfall will certainly continue the rest of the day," he said,
"and perhaps all through the night. Suppose we go to the smoking-room.
Antoine and Suzanne must eat also. It's their hour now."

"That is true, Mr. John. The smoking-room is a good place, but I'm
afraid that you have no cigarette."

"I don't smoke, but we can talk there, of your brother Philip, of your
mother, safe now, of Paris, delivered as if by a miracle from the German
menace, and of other good events that have happened."

He held open the door of the dining-room and when she went out he
followed her, leaving Picard and Suzanne to their hour.




CHAPTER V

THE REGISTER


John and Julie in the smoking-room were not lonely. They talked of many
of the events he had suggested, and of more. Two of the windows looked
out upon the town instead of the river, but they could see little there