l Maitland, upon the Motor
Pirate. Finally my choice settled upon the person of the Pirate as the
most suitable object; for, next to myself, he was primarily responsible
for my having made so contemptible a figure.

Of course the decision was absurd. Decisions that are the outcome of any
strong emotion usually are. But it fulfilled a useful purpose. It gave
my mind something else to feed upon than contemplation of my own
unhappiness. It brought me to myself.

To-day I can laugh when I recall the childishness of my actions, the
outcome of the unreasoned promptings of my puerile jealousy. For when I
came to the conclusion to avenge my sufferings upon the Motor Pirate, I
suddenly became aware that it was pitch dark; that I was in the middle
of a field; that I was soaked to the skin; that the rain was still
falling heavily; and that I had not the slightest idea where I was.
However, I added one more to the acts of folly I committed that day: I
solemnly held up my hands to the dripping heavens and registered my vow
of revenge. Then I pushed on again, but with my physical faculties on
the alert to discover where I was.

I began, too, to feel the discomfort of my position, and became sensible
of a sneaking wish to be before a comfortable fire. I crossed two or
three fields, and eventually coming to a road I followed it, and, after
paddling through the mud half a mile further, I struck a village, and in
the village an inn.

When I opened the door and walked into the cheerful lamplight of the
bar-parlour, the half-dozen occupants of the cosy little room stared at
me with astonishment. Well they might. I caught a glimpse of my
reflection in the glass behind the bottles--if you have ever seen a
corpse fished up by the drags from a river bed, you will be able to form
some idea of the appearance I presented--so that I did not resent their
stare. In fact, I was not in a condition to be able to pay much
attention to the curious glances of the villagers. The warmth of the
room together with the sudden cessation of exertion were for the moment
too much for me, and it was as much as I could do to stagger to the
nearest chair.

Fortunately the landlord was a man with some modicum of common sense. I
am quite sure that I should have been unceremoniously ejected from nine
public houses out of ten. But mine host of the White Horse--I learned
afterwards that he had been whip to a well-known hunt in the West
country--was able to distingui