It seems increasingly likely that I really will undertake thé expédition that bas been preoccupying my imagination now for some days. An expédition, I should say, which I will undertake alone, in thé comfort of Mr Farraday's Ford; an expédition which, as I foresee it, will take me through much of thé finest countryside of England to thé West Country, and may keep me away from Darlington Hall for as much as fïve or six days. The idea of such a journey came about, I should point out, from a most kind suggestion put to me by Mr Farraday himself one afternoon almost a fortnight ago, when I had been dusting thé portraits in thé library. In fact, as I recall, I was up on thé step-ladder dusting thé portrait of viscount Whetherby when rny employer had entered carrying a few volumes which he presumably wished returned to thé shelves. On seeing my person, he took thé opportunity to inform me that he had just that moment finalised plans to return to thé United States for a period of five weeks between August and September. Having made this announcement, my employer put his volumes down on a table, seated himself on thé chaise-longue, and stretched out his legs. It was then, gazing up at me, that he said:
'You realize, Stevens, I don't expect you to be locked up hère in this house ail thé time F m away. Why don't you take thé car and drive off somewhere for a few days? You look like you could make good use of a break.'
Corning out of thé blue as it did,' I did not quite know how to reply to such a suggestion. I recall thanking him for his considération, but quite probably I said nothing very definite for my employer went on:
Tm serious, Stevens. I really think you should take a break. Fil foot thé bill for thé gas. You fellows, you're always locked up in thèse big houses helping out, how do you ever get to see around this beautiful country of yours?'
This was not thé first time my employer had raised such a question; indeed, it seems to be something which genumely