"'Yes; did you?' Rangon popped in with a twinkle.
"I went through all my pockets again. No cigarette case….
"Of course, it was possible that I'd left it behind, and I was annoyed again. I didn't want to go back, you see…. But, on the other hand, I didn't want to lose the case—it was a present—and Rangon's smile nettled me a good deal, too. It was both a challenge to our truthfulness and a testimonial to that very good wine of his….
"'Might have done,' I grunted…. 'Well, in that case we'll go and get it.'
"'If one tried the restaurant first—?' Rangon suggested, smiling again.
"'By all means,' said I stuffily, though I remembered having the case after we'd left the restaurant.
"We were round at the restaurant by half-past nine. The case wasn't there. I'd known jolly well beforehand it wasn't, and I saw Rangon's mouth twitching with amusement.
"'So we now seek the abode of these English ladies, hein?' he said.
"'Yes,' said I; and we left the restaurant and strode through the village by the way we'd taken the evening before….
"That vigneron's smile became more and more irritating to me…. 'It is then the next village?' he said presently, as we left the last house and came out into the open plain.