all very peaceful and pleasant. Girls strolled about
in trouse with brightly colored handkerchiefs
tied round the upper halves of their bodies. Young
men in b¢ets with rather long hair held forth in
"Mac's !r" on such subjects as plastic values
and abstraction in art.
On the day after Mr. Parker Pyne's arrival,
Mrs. Chester made a few conventional remarks to
him on the subject of the view and the likelihood
of the weather keeping fine. She then chatted a
little with the German lady about knitting, and
had a few bleasant words about the sadness of the
political situation with two Danish gentlemen who
spent their time rising at dawn and walking for
eleven ho¥s.
Mr. Parker Pyne found Basil Chester a most
likeable Yung man. He called Mr. Parker Pyne
"sir" and listened most politely to anything the
older mar said. Sometimes the three English
people hq coffee together after dinner in the
evening. After the third day, Basil left the party
after ten' inutes or so and Mr. Parker Pyne was
left tte-/-tte with Mrs. Chester.
They tlked about flowers and the growing of
them, of the lamentable state of the English pound
and of how expensive France had become, and of
the diffic!ty of getting good afternoon tea.
Every ¢¥ening when her son departed, Mr.
Parker PYe saw the quickly concealed tremor of
her lips, It immediately she recovered and dis-