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In the darkness the car went swiftly through Mentone and along the steep winding road which leads around the rugged coast close to the sea--the road over the yellow rocks which Napoleon an to ascend a hill, a lonely, wind-swept highith the sea plashing deep belohen, after a sudden bend, sohts came into view It was the wayside Italian Custoh, by the aid of a flash-laed his clothes, putting his own into the suit case wherein he had found the suit already prepared for hi, and by his side reposed a pair of crutches, so that when they drew up before the little roadside office of the Italian dogana he was reclining upon a cushion presenting quite a pathetic figure
But who had ht?
He held his breath as the chauffeur sounded his horn to announce his arrival Then the door opened, shedding a long ray of light across the white dusty road
"Buona sera, signore!" cried the chauffeur merrily, as a Custo licence and papers for the car And our two passports"
The ht of his electric torch, and told the chauffeur to go into the office for the visas
"Have you anything to declare?" he added in Italian
"Half a dozen very bad cigarettes," replied the other, laughing "They're French! And also I've got a very bad cold! No duty on that, I suppose?"
The officer laughed, and then turned his attention to the petrol tank, into which he put hisiron to see how much it contained, while the facetious chauffeur stood by
During this operation two other , one an Italian carabineer in epaulettes and cocked hat, while the other, tall and shrewd-faced, was in ent of French police who inspects all travellers leaving France by road
The chauffeur realized that the arette unconcernedly, but bending to the Customs officer, he said in a low voice: "My padrone is an Americano An invalid, and a bit eccentric Lots of o he injured his spine and can hardly ot to take him to Professor Landrini, in Turin He's pretty bad We've come from Hyeres His doctor ordered me to take hiive you this," and he slipped a note for a hundred lire into the man's hand