Part 10 (2/2)

'I'm jol y wel going to try it. After al , Henri is Jeanette's brother.'

Bertie finished his soup and put his eyegla.s.s in his pocket. 'And you're the bold Sir Galahad? Wel , don't let this damsel-in-distress stuff-'

'What are you talking about?' broke in Ginger angrily. 'I should have gone after Henri, anyway.'

'Of course-of course-absolutely, old boy.'

Bertie rose and picked up his guitar. 'Wel , if you're satisfied with the arrangement I'l toddle along and visit the cats of Castil on. I'l give you one tip. You can trust Francois Budette. If things get real y hot, go to him for advice. Tel him who you are, and al that sort of thing. If for any reason I don't show up again, go to him. At a pinch I may be able to get a message through to him.'

'Good enough,' agreed Ginger.

Bertie put what was left of the bread in his pocket and went to the door. 'Don't let those dark eyes of young Jeanette take you too far off your course-if you get my meaning,' he advised.

'You go to-Castil on,' snarled Ginger.

Bertie chuckled and departed on his mission.

As soon as he had gone Ginger got out of bed and started to dress. His leg was stiff, and he had a moment of giddiness that made him clutch the bedpost; but the spasm soon pa.s.sed, and apart from a feeling of la.s.situde, which he put down to loss of blood, he felt fairly normal. When Jeanette came up a few minutes later to col ect the dishes she found him ful y dressed.

She uttered a cry of surprise. 'Why this you do, monsieur monsieur?' she scolded.

'Because mademoiselle mademoiselle, I have work to do,'

answered Ginger.

'But where are you going?'

'To Peil e, to see Henri. We can't leave him there.

'To Peil e, to see Henri. We can't leave him there.

Once the police get him to Nice it wil be more difficult to save him. I am going at once, hoping to be in Peil e before he leaves.'

'But where is Monsieur Bertie?'

'He has other work to do, in Castil on.'

'But you cannot do this, monsieur monsieur,' protested Jeanette.

'Why not?'

'Because, in the first place, you are wounded, and it is many kilometres to Peil e; and secondly because the police they look for you. You have no chance of getting out of the princ.i.p.ality.'

Keen as he was to go, Ginger perceived the truth of these arguments. 'Let us deal with these things one at a time,' he said. 'Is it possible to get a vehicle to take me-at least, up the hil as far as La Turbie?'

'Vehicle? What is this?'

'A taxi.'

'There are no taxis now in Monaco.'

'A horse and cart, then?'

'What few horses there are are weak from want of food. They are rarely seen out. By taking one you would draw attention to yourself. It might be possible to get a donkey.'

Ginger blinked. 'A donkey?'

'But yes. Many people here use donkeys to fetch the wood, the coal, to carry the fish and vegetables in the basket. My aunt has such a one.'

'Wil she sel it, or hire it to me?'

'I wil ask Mama to speak to her about it.'

'Would this donkey carry me, do you think?'

'Surely. The donkey is a good little beast, better than a horse on these mountain roads, which is why we use him. He is used to carrying people. I wil ask Mama of this.'

Jeanette cal ed her mother, who came in looking as though she had been crying. The matter was explained to her. The expedition, she opined, was fantastique fantastique, but she would ask about the donkey.

Ginger pul ed out a wad of notes that made her gasp. 'Take as much money as you think wil be necessary, madame madame, and say that if the expedition is successful I may be able to bring the donkey back, but this, of course, I cannot promise.'

At first Madame Ducoste refused to take any money, but Ginger pressed some on her and she departed on her errand.

'Now what can I do about myself so that the police wil not recognize me?' asked Ginger.

'We must make you into a Monegasque,' declared Jeanette, smiling. 'For clothes there is no trouble, for you may have those of Henri. They are old, but that is al the better. But your face is too white and your hair is too red. For your face I have the very thing-and perhaps for your hair. Wait.'

Jeanette went out and returned with a bottle and a smal jar. 'These were left here by our last English lady,' she explained. 'This oil in the bottle is for to make the skin brown, to prevent the burning when one bathes in the sun. The visitors here al use it to make them brown. Voila! monsieur Voila! monsieur.'

'What's that in the jar?'

'Mascara, monsieur. monsieur. Some girls use it to make their eyebrows black. For me that is not necessary. Some girls use it to make their eyebrows black. For me that is not necessary.

Perhaps it wil make your hair black. You may try while I fetch the clothes of Henri.'

With Henri's clothes, the sun-bronze oil, and the mascara, Ginger so altered his appearance that when he looked in the mirror it gave him a shock.

They were laughing about it when a clatter of hooves announced the arrival of madame madame with the donkey. with the donkey.

They went down to the door to see it, and found it already saddled, with panniers, attached to the saddle, on each side. Its name, Ginger learned, was Lucil e.

'If you are questioned, for what purpose are you going to Peil e?' asked madame madame shrewdly. 'It would be a good thing to know.' shrewdly. 'It would be a good thing to know.'

Ginger hadn't thought of that. 'What can I fetch?'

he asked.

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