"Of course," I agreed.
The confession of uneasiness, however, did my heart good. It was plain that my imperturbable cousin was getting nervous.
As we moved off again—
"We must lunch soon," said Berry. "My mouth's watering so fast, I can't keep up with it."
I patted Adèle's arm.
"Now you know the way to his heart," I said. "Straight through the stomach, and——"
"But how gross!" said Berry. "And how untrue! Naturally ascetic, but for the insistence of my physicians, I should long ago have let my hair grow and subsisted entirely on locusts and motionless lemonade. But a harsh Fate ruled otherwise. Excuse me, but I think that that there basket or ark in which the comfort is enshrined is rather near the conduit through which flows that sparkling liquid which, when vapoured, supplies our motive power. And foie gras is notoriously susceptible to the baneful influence of neighbouring perfumes. Thank you. If those bits of heaven were to taste of petrol, it would shorten my life. And now, where was I?"
I turned to Adèle.
"He's off," said I. "The prospect of gluttony always loosens his tongue. There's really only one way to stop him. What about lunching at the top of this hill? Or can you bear it till we've passed Poitiers?"
A mischievous look came into Adèle's brown eyes.