Three days before the date fixed for the wedding Paul was sitting in the Ritz opening his morning's post, when Margot rang him up.
'Darling, rather a tiresome thing's happened, she said. 'You know those girls we sent to Rio the other day? Well, they're stuck at Marseilles, for some reason or other. I can't quite make out why. I think it's something to do with their passports. I've just had a very odd cable from my agent there. He's giving up the job. It's such a bore all this happening just now. I do so want to get everything fixed before Thursday. I wonder if you could be an angel and go over and see to it for me? It's probably only a matter of giving the right man a few hundred francs. If you fly you'll be back in plenty of time. I'd go myself, only you know, don't you, darling, I simply haven't one minute to spare.
Paul did not have to travel alone. Potts was at Croydon, enveloped in an ulster and carrying in his hand a little attaché case.
'Leaguc of Nations business, he said, and was twice sick during the flight.
At Paris Paul was obliged to charter a special aeroplane. Potts saw him off.
'Why are you going to Marseilles, he asked. 'I thought you were going to be married.
'I'm only going there for an hour or two, to see some people on business, said Paul.
How like Potts, he thought, to suppose that a little journey like this was going to upset his marriage. Paul was beginning to feel cosmopolitan, the Ritz to‑day, Marseilles to‑morrow, Corfu next day, and afterwards the whole world stood open to him like one great hotel, his way lined for him with bows and orchids. How pathetically insular poor Potts was, he thought, for all his talk of internationalism.
It was late evening when Paul arrived at Marseilles. He dined at Basso's in the covered balcony off bouillabaisse and Meursault at a table from which he could see a thousand lights reflected in the still water. Paul felt very much of a man of the world as he paid his bill, calculated the correct tip, and sat back in the open cab on his way to the old part of the town.
'They'll probably be at Alice's, in the Rue de Reynarde, Margot had said. 'Anyway, you oughtn't to have any difficulty in finding them if you mention my name.