"Well, they haven't helped me much.So many houses on fire, that's all.If they happen to take place in your own street, they don't increase the value of your property.When mine catches, I suppose they'll write and tell me--one of these days, when they've got nothing else to do.I didn't get a blessed letter this morning; Isuppose they think I'm having such a good time over here it's a pity to disturb me.If I could attend to business for about half an hour, I'd find out something.But I can't, and it's no use talking.The state of my health was never so unsatisfactory as it was about five o'clock this morning.""I am very sorry to hear that," I said, "and I recommend you strongly not to think of business.""I don't," Mr.Ruck replied."I'm thinking of cathedrals; I'm thinking of the beauties of nature.Come," he went on, turning round on the bench and leaning his elbow on the parapet, "I'll think of those mountains over there; they ARE pretty, certainly.Can't you get over there?""Over where?"

"Over to those hills.Don't they run a train right up?""You can go to Chamouni," I said."You can go to Grindelwald and Zermatt and fifty other places.You can't go by rail, but you can drive.""All right, we'll drive--and not in a one-horse concern, either.

Yes, Chamouni is one of the places we put down.I hope there are a few nice shops in Chamouni." Mr.Ruck spoke with a certain quickened emphasis, and in a tone more explicitly humorous than he commonly employed.I thought he was excited, and yet he had not the appearance of excitement.He looked like a man who has simply taken, in the face of disaster, a sudden, somewhat imaginative, resolution not to "worry." He presently twisted himself about on his bench again and began to watch for his companions."Well, they ARE walking round," he resumed; "I guess they've hit on something, somewhere.

And they've got a carriage waiting outside of that archway too.They seem to do a big business in archways here, don't they.They like to have a carriage to carry home the things--those ladies of mine.Then they're sure they've got them." The ladies, after this, to do them justice, were not very long in appearing.They came toward us, from under the archway to which Mr.Ruck had somewhat invidiously alluded, slowly and with a rather exhausted step and expression.My companion looked at them a moment, as they advanced."They're tired," he said softly."When they're tired, like that, it's very expensive.""Well," said Mrs.Ruck, "I'm glad you've had some company." Her husband looked at her, in silence, through narrowed eyelids, and Isuspected that this gracious observation on the lady's part was prompted by a restless conscience.

Miss Sophy glanced at me with her little straightforward air of defiance."It would have been more proper if WE had had the company.

Why didn't you come after us, instead of sitting there?" she asked of Mr.Ruck's companion.