I am no dreamer, but a very material person, who lives in France
because he loves the sunshine, and the cuisine, and the good, kind
hearts, which no government or want of government can deteriorate."

And Madame de Chantonnay, who liked Dormer Colville--with whom she
admitted she always felt herself in sympathy--smiled graciously in
response to his gallant bow. For she, too, was a materialist who
loved the sunshine and the cuisine; more especially the cuisine.

Moreover, Colville never persuaded the Marquis de Gemosac to come to
England. He went so far as to represent, in a realistic light, the
discomforts of the journey, and only at the earnest desire of many
persons concerned did he at length enter into the matter and good-
naturedly undertake to accompany the aged traveller.

So far as his story was concerned, he kept his word, entertaining
the Marquis on the journey and during their two days' sojourn at the
humble inn at Farlingford with that flow of sympathetic and easy
conversation which always made Madame de Chantonnay protest that he
was no Englishman at all, but all that there was of the most French.
Has it not been seen that Colville refused to translate the dark
sayings of River Andrew by the side of the grass-grown grave, which
seemed to have been brought to the notice of the travellers by the
merest accident?

"I promised you that I should tell you nothing until you had seen
him," he repeated, as the Marquis followed with his eyes the
movements of the group of which the man they called Loo Barebone
formed the centre.