im, hell and
blitzen! Haf courage, dear!"

"Oh dear, oh dear!" wailed the lady. "I shall _never_ do it again!"

They must have covered miles, and still the speed never abated, when
suddenly, as they were rounding a sharp corner, the horse slipped on the
frost-bound road, and in the twinkling of an eye the Baron and the lady
were sitting on opposite sides of their fallen steed, and the cabman was
rubbing his head some yards in front.

"Teufel!" exclaimed the Baron, rising carefully to his feet. "Ach, mine
dearest vun, art thou hurt?"

The lady was silent for a moment, as though trying to decide, and then she
burst into hysterical laughter.

"Ach, zo," said the Baron, much relieved, "zen vill I see ze cabman."

That individual was still rubbing his head with a rueful air, and the
Baron was about to pour forth all his bottled-up indignation, when at the
sight of the driver's face he started back in blank astonishment.

"Bonker!"

"It is I indeed, my dear Baron," replied that gentleman, politely. "I must
ask a thousand pardons for causing you this trifling inconvenience. As to
your friend, I don't know how I am to make my peace with her."

"Bot--bot vat means zis?" gasped the Baron.

"I was merely endeavouring to provide the spice of romance you required,
besides giving you the opportunity of making the lady's better
acquaintance. Can I do anything more for you, Baron? And you, my dear
lady, can I assist you in any way?"

Both, speaking at once and with some heat, gave a decidedly affirmative
answer.

"Where are we?" asked the lady, who hovered between fright and
indignation.

Mr Bunker shrugged his shoulders.

"It would be rash to hazard an opinion," he replied.

"Well!" cried the lady, her indignation quite overcoming her fright. "Do
you mean to say you've brought us here against our wills and probably got
me into _dreadful_ trouble, and you don't even know where we are?"

Mr Bunker looked up at the heavens with a studious air.

"One _ought_ to be able to tell something of our whereabouts from one of
those stars," he replied; "but, to tell the truth, I don't quite know
which. In short, madame, it is not from want of goodwill, but merely
through ignorance, that I cannot direct you."

The lady turned impatiently to the Baron.

"_You've_ helped to get me into this mess," she said, tartly. "What do you
propose to do?"

"My fairest----"

"Don't!" she interrupted, stamping her foot on the frosty road,