THE STORY 291 



on his back in the dust of the road — he's one of 

 those fellows who don't care what they do. I 

 could hear him under the car, and he seemed 

 taking the whole thing to pieces; you could hear 

 the nuts coming out and the pipes being unscrewed 

 and the petrol escaping. He was stuck under 

 there for haK-an-hour or so, and then he came out, 

 looking hke a sweep, and he said it was all right 

 and I only had to start her. But she wouldn't 

 start. 



" He got under her again and spent another 

 half -hour tinkering at her, and then he came out 

 and said it was all right this time and told me to 

 start her. I started her, but she wouldn't budge. 

 Then Billy told his chauffeur to see what he could 

 do, and the chauff didn't get under the car, he just 

 examined the petrol supply business and in about 

 sixteen seconds she was all right. ' I thought 

 I'd done it,' said Billy, putting on his coat. 



" There was an hour clean gone and, I tell you, 

 if I came fast to Southend I flew going back. I 

 got her under the shed and went to the cottage. 

 As soon as I went in I saw something was wrong, 

 for the bedroom door was open. I looked into 

 the bedroom and Giveen was gone." 



" Bad cess to him! " said French, who had been 

 following the raconteur with deep interest. 



*' I went to the door and looked around," said 

 Mr Dashwood, " and then I saw, far away on the 

 road, the idiot chap that had taken my letter. 

 He must have come to the cottage looking after 



