Part 6 (2/2)
”Never see such a thing in ten years' experience,” said the motor expert.
”I'm blowed if I don't think the devil has got inside the magneto,”
said Biggs; and there I agreed with him. For wasn't it Miss Dolly who had done it, and isn't she--but there, that wouldn't be polite to the s.e.x, so I won't write it down.
I learned from Biggs that Lord Badington's daughter and stepson were staying in the house with him, and a couple of old gentlemen, who, when they weren't making laws at Westminster, were making fools of themselves on the links at Sandwich. It was a golfing party, in fact, and next morning early, Biggs took them on to Prince's--and, will you believe me?--the car came back for the ladies by-and-by, and off went Miss Dolly, as calmly as though she had known them all her life. Not a word to me, not a word about going on, or getting the car ready, but just a nod and a laugh as she went by, and a something in her eyes which seemed to say, ”Britten, I'm doing famously, and I haven't forgotten you.”
The same afternoon about tea-time she sent for me, and had a word with me in the hall. I learned then that she had promised to stop until the following morning, and she asked, in a voice which n.o.body could mistake, if the car would be ready. When I told her that I was waiting for a new magneto from London I thought she would kiss me on the spot.
”Oh, Britten,” she said in a whisper, ”suppose we couldn't get on for three or four days.”
”In that case,” said I, ”I should consider that we were really unfortunate, miss, but I'll do my best.”
”Are you comfortable at the inn, Britten?”
”Putting on flesh rapidly, miss. I never knew there were so many red herrings in the world.”
”And your room?”
”They built it when they thought the King was coming to Sandwich.”
She laughed and looked at me, and, just as I was leaving, she whispered, ”Do make it three or four days, Britten,” and I promised her with a glance she could not mistake. And why not? What was against us? Was it not all plain sailing? Truly so, but for one little fact.
I'll tell you in a word--Hook-Nosed Moss and the old bill he carried about like a love-letter--a bill against Dolly St. John for seventy-five pounds sixteen s.h.i.+llings and fourpence.
Well, Moss came down from town suddenly on the second afternoon, and while he carried a new magneto under his arm, the bill was in his pocket right enough. I was standing at the inn door as he drove up in a fly, and when I recognised the face, you might have knocked me down with a cotton umbrella. Not, mind you, that I lost my presence of mind, or said anything foolish, but just that I felt sorry enough for Dolly St. John to risk all I'd got in the world to save her from this land shark. That Moss had found her out, I did not doubt for an instant, and his first words told me I was right.
”Do you know who you've been trotting about the country?” he asked, as he stepped down. I replied that I did not, but that I believed the lady to be a relative of Lord Badington's. Then he was fair angry.
”Lord Badington be d----d,” he said, speaking through his nose as he always did, ”her dabe's Dolly Sid John, and she's the sabe who did us id de winter. I wonder you were such a precious fool as not to recognise her. Do you mean to dell me you didn't dow her?”
”What!” I cried, opening my eyes wide, ”she Dolly St. John! Well, you do surprise me; and she gone to Dover this very afternoon--leastwise, if it isn't to Dover, it's to Folkestone--but Biggs would tell us. Are you quite sure about it, sir?”
He swore he was sure, and went on to tell me that if I hadn't been the greatest chump in Europe I would have known it from the start.
”Where are your eyes?” he kept asking me; ”do you mean to say you can drive a woman for ted days in London and not dow her again three months afterwards? A fine sort of chap you are. You deserve a statue in the Fools' Museum, upod my word you do. Now take me to the car, and let's see what's the matter. I'll have more to say to you whed we're in London, you mark that, my man.”
I didn't give him any cheek, much as I would have liked to. My game was to protect Miss Dolly as far as I was able, and to hold my tongue for her sake.
Clearly her position was perilous. If this dun of a Jew went up to the house, and told them her name was not More, but St. John, the fat would be in the fire with a vengeance, and her chance of marrying John Sarand about equal to mine of mating with the crowned heads of Europe. What to do I knew no more than the dead. I had no messenger to send up to the house; I dare not leave Moss to get talking to the people of the inn; and there I was, helping him to fit and time the new magneto, and just feeling I'd pay ten pounds for the privilege of knocking him down with his own spanner.
We finished the job in about half an hour, and the Renault started up at once. Moss hadn't spoken of Miss Dolly while we were at work; but directly the engine started he remembered his business, and turned on me like a fury.
”Whed did you say she started off?” he asked.
”About two this afternoon, I think.”
”In whose car?”
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