Set in Silver

								


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SET IN SILVER
by
C. N. AND A. M. WILLIAMSON
Illustrated

Garden City    New York
Doubleday, Page & Company
1913
All rights reserved, including that of translation
into foreign languages, including the Scandinavian
Copyright, 1909, by
Doubleday, Page & Company

TO A GREAT MAN, AND A GREAT MOTORIST
With all admiration we dedicate our story

      of a tour in the land he loves



    "... this little world,

    This precious stone, set in the silver sea

    That serves it in the office of a wall,

    Or as a moat defensive to a house,

    Against the envy of less happier lands,

    This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England."

SET IN SILVER

I
AUDRIE BRENDON TO HER MOTHER AT CHAMPEL-LES-BAINS, SWITZERLAND

Rue Chapeau de Marie Antoinette,
Versailles,
July 4th
Darling Little French Mother: Things have happened. Fire-crackers!
Roman candles! rockets! But don't be frightened. They're all in my head.
Nevertheless I haven't had such a Fourth of July since I was a small
girl in America, and stood on a tin pail with a whole pack of
fire-crackers popping away underneath.
Isn't it funny, when you have a lot to tell, it's not half as easy to
write a letter as when you've nothing at all to say, and must make up
for lack of matter by weaving phrases? Now, when I'm suffering from a
determination of too many words to my pen, they all run together in a
torrent, and I don't know how to make them dribble singly to a
beginning.
I think I'll talk about other things first. That's the way dear Dad used
to do when he had exciting news, and loved to dangle it over our heads,
"cherry ripe" fashion, harping on the weather or the state of the
stock-market until he had us almost dancing with impatience.
Yes, I'll dwell on other things first--but not irrelevant things, for
I'll dwell on You--with a capital Y, which is the only proper way to
spell You--and You are never irrelevant. You couldn't be, whatever was
happening. And just now you're particularly relevant, though you're far
off in nice, cool Switzerland; for presently, when I come to the Thing,
I'm going to ask your advice.
It's very convenient having a French mother, and I do appreciate dear
Dad's Yankee cleverness in securing you in the family. You say sometimes
that I seem all American, and that you're glad; which is pretty of
you, and loyal to father's country, but I'm not sure whether I shouldn't
have preferred to turn out more like my mamma. You're so complete,