pgw.threemenandamaid-第33节
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
〃The battery must be run down；〃 said Billie。
〃All right；〃 said Bream。
Billie cast a glance of contempt at him out of the corner of her eyes。 She hardly knew why she had spoken to him except that； as all automobilists are aware； the impulse to say rude things about their battery is almost irresistible。 To an automobilist the art of conversation consists in rapping out scathing remarks either about the battery or the oiling…system。
Billie switched on the head…lights and turned the car down the dark drive。 She was feeling thoroughly upset。 Her idealistic nature had received a painful shock on the discovery of the yellow streak in Bream。 To call it a yellow streak was to understate the facts。 It was a great belt of saffron encircling his whole soul。 That she； Wilhelmina Bennett； who had gone through the world seeking a Galahad； should finish her career as the wife of a man who hid under beds simply because people shot at him with elephant guns was abhorrent to her。 Why； Samuel Marlowe would have perished rather than do such a thing。 You might say what you liked about Samuel Marloweand； of course； his habit of playing practical jokes put him beyond the palebut nobody could question his courage。 Look at the way he had dived overboard that time in the harbour at New York！ Billie found herself thinking hard about Samuel Marlowe。
There are only a few makes of car in which you can think hard about anything except the actual driving without stalling the engines； and Mr。 Bennett's Twin…Six plex was not one of them。 It stopped as if it had been waiting for the signal。 The noise of the engine died away。 The wheels ceased to revolve。 The automobile did everything except lie down。 It was a particularly pig…headed car and right from the start it had been unable to see the sense in this midnight expedition。 It seemed now to have the idea that if it just lay low and did nothing； presently it would be taken back to its cosy garage。
Billie trod on the self…starter。 Nothing happened。
〃You'll have to get down and crank her；〃 she said curtly。
〃All right；〃 said Bream。
〃Well； go on；〃 said Billie impatiently。
〃Eh？〃
〃Get out and crank her。〃
Bream emerged for an instant from his trance。
〃All right；〃 he said。
The art of cranking a car is one that is not given to all men。 Some of our greatest and wisest stand helpless before the task。 It is a job towards the consummation of which a noble soul and a fine brain help not at all。 A man may have all the other gifts and yet be unable to acplish a task the fellow at the garage does with one quiet quick flick of the wrist without even bothering to remove his chewing gum。 This being so； it was not only unkind but foolish of Billie to grow impatient as Bream's repeated efforts failed of their object。 It was wrong of her to click her tongue； and certainly she ought not to have told Bream that he was not fit to churn butter。 But women are an emotional sex and must be forgiven much in moments of mental stress。
〃Give it a good sharp twist；〃 she said。
〃All right；〃 said Bream。
〃Here； let me do it；〃 cried Billie。
She jumped down and snatched the thingummy from his hand。 With bent brows and set teeth she wrenched it round。 The engine gave a faint protesting mutter； like a dog that has been disturbed in its sleep； and was still once more。
〃May I help？〃
It was not Bream who spoke but a strange voicea sepulchral voice； the sort of voice someone would have used in one of Edgar Allen Poe's cheerful little tales if he had been buried alive and were speaking from the family vault。 ing suddenly out of the night it affected Bream painfully。 He uttered a sharp exclamation and gave a bound which； if he had been a Russian dancer； would probably have caused the management to raise his salary。 He was in no frame of mind to bear up under sudden sepulchral voices。
Billie； on the other hand； was pleased。 The high…spirited girl was just beginning to fear that she was unequal to the task which she had chided Bream for being unable to perform and this was mortifying her。
〃Oh； would you mind？ Thank you so much。 The self…starter has gone wrong。〃
Into the glare of the head…lights there stepped a strange figure； strange； that is to say； in these tame modern times。 In the Middle Ages he would have excited no ment at all。 Passers…by would simply have said to themselves； 〃Ah； another of those knights off after the dragons！〃 and would have gone on their way with a civil greeting。 But in the present age it is always somewhat startling to see a helmeted head pop up in front of your automobile。 At any rate； it startled Bream。 I will go further。 It gave Bream the shock of a lifetime。 He had had shocks already that night； but none to be pared with this。 Or perhaps it was that this shock； ing on top of those shocks； affected him more disastrously than it would have done if it had been the first of the series instead of the last。 One may express the thing briefly by saying that； as far as Bream was concerned； Sam's unconventional appearance put the lid on it。 He did not hesitate。 He did not pause to make ments or ask questions。 With a single cat…like screech which took years off the lives of the abruptly wakened birds roosting in the neighbouring trees； he dashed away towards the house and； reaching his room； locked the door and pushed the bed； the chest of drawers； two chairs； the towel stand； and three pairs of boots against it。 Only then did he feel paratively safe。
Out on the drive Billie was staring at the man in armour who had now； with a masterful wrench which informed the car right away that he would stand no nonsense； set the engine going again。
〃Whywhy；〃 she stammered； 〃why are you wearing that thing on your head？〃
〃Because I can't get it off。〃
Hollow as the voice was； Billie recognised it。
〃SMr。 Marlowe！〃 she exclaimed。
〃Get in；〃 said Sam。 He had seated himself at the steering wheel。 〃Where can I take you？〃
〃Go away！〃 said Billie。
〃Get in！〃
〃I don't want to talk to you。〃
〃I want to talk to you！ Get in！〃
〃I won't。〃
Sam bent over the side of the car； put his hands under her arms； lifted her like a kitten and deposited her on the seat beside him。 Then throwing in the clutch； he drove at an ever increasing speed down the drive and out into the silent road。 Strange creatures of the night came and went in the golden glow of the head…lights。
6
〃Put me down；〃 said Billie。
〃You'd get hurt if I did； travelling at this pace。〃
〃What are you going to do？〃
〃Drive about till you promise to marry me。〃
〃You'll have to drive a long time。〃
〃Right ho！〃 said Sam。
The car took a corner and purred down a lane。 Billie reached out a hand and grabbed at the steering wheel。 〃Of course； if you want to smash up in a ditch！〃 said Sam； righting the car with a wrench。
〃You're a brute！〃 said Billie。
〃Cave…man stuff；〃 explained Sam； 〃I ought to have tried it before。〃
〃I don't know what you expect to gain by this。〃
〃That's all right；〃 said Sam； 〃I know what I'm about。〃
〃I'm glad to hear it。〃
〃I thought you would be。〃
〃I'm not going to talk to you。〃
〃All right。 Lean back and doze off。 We've the whole night before us。〃
〃What do you mean？〃 cried Billie； sitting up with a jerk。
〃Have you ever been to Scotland？〃
〃What do you mean？〃
〃I thought we might push up there。 We've got to go somewhere and； oddly enough； I've never been to Scotland。〃
Billie regarded him blankly。
〃Are you crazy？〃
〃I'm crazy about you。 If you knew what I've gone through to…night for your sake you'd be more sympathetic。 I love you；〃 said Sam swerving to avoid a rabbit。 〃And what's more； you know it。〃
〃I don't care。〃
〃You will！〃 said Sam confidently。 〃How about North Wales？ I've heard people speak well of North Wales。 Shall we head for North Wales？〃
〃I'm engaged to Bream Mortimer。〃
〃Oh no； that's all off；〃 Sam assured her。
〃It's not！〃
〃Right off！〃 said Sam firmly。 〃You could never bring yourself to marry a man who dashed away like that and deserted you in your hour of need。 Why； for all he knew； I might have tried to murder you。 And he ran away！ No； no； we eliminate Bream Mortimer once and for all。 He won't do！〃
This was so exactly what Billie was feeling herself that she could not bring herself to dispute it。
〃Anyway； I hate you ！〃 she said； giving the conversation another turn。
〃Why？ In the name of goodness； why？〃
〃How dared you make a fool of me in your father's office that morning？〃
〃It was a sudden inspiration。 I had to do something to make you think well of me； and I thought it might meet the case if I saved you from a lunatic with a pistol。 It wasn't my fault that you found out。〃
〃I shall never forgive you！〃
〃Why not Cornwall？〃 said Sam。 〃The Riviera of England！ Let's go to Cornwall。 I beg your pardon。 What were you saying？〃
〃I said I should never forgive you and I won't。〃
〃Well； I hope you're fond of motoring；〃 said Sam； 〃because we're going on till you do。〃
〃Very well！ Go on； then！〃
〃I intend to。 Of course； it's all right now while it's dark。 But have you considered what is going to happen when the sun gets up？ We shall have a sort of triumphal procession。 How the small boys will laugh when they s
