ise. Once clear of the town, with an empty
road before him, he drove fast and reached the scene of the breakdown in
less than twenty minutes.

Jones was evidently sulky. Without speaking a word to either Geoffrey
or the girl he went straight to the car at the side of the road. He gave
the starting handle a single turn. Then he stopped and went to the back
of the car. He took out a tin of petrol and emptied it into the tank.
Then he gave another jerk to the starting handle. The engine responded
at once with a cheerful rattle. The girl, to Geoffrey's amazement,
laughed loud. He felt abashed and humiliated, very little inclined to
mirth.

"I'm awfully sorry," he babbled his apologies. "I'm really awfully
sorry. It was extremely stupid of me, but I never thought----. Of course
I ought to have looked at the petrol tank first thing."

"It was a bit stupid of you, I must say," said the girl, "considering
what you said about understanding motors."

Geoffrey felt inclined to remind her that she, too, had boasted some
knowledge of cars and that she had been at fault even more than he had,
and that in fact she ought to have guessed that her petrol had gone. He
was saved from making his retort by Jones. Ignoring the girl completely,
as if she were beneath contempt, Jones spoke to Geoffrey.

"I dunno," he said, "how you expected the engine to work without
petrol."

His tone was full of scorn, and Geoffrey felt like a withered flower.
The girl was in no way abashed.

"It's just like asking a man to work without his dinner," she said, "but
they sometimes do, you know."

Then she turned to Geoffrey.

"If you promise faithfully," she said, "not to tell father what
happened, you can come and have dinner with us to-night."

It was the only sign of gratitude that the girl had shown, and
Geoffrey's first inclination was to refuse the invitation definitely.
But he caught sight of her face before she spoke. She was standing in
the full glare of one of the lamps. Her eyes were twinkling and very
bright. On her lips was a smile, impudent, provocative, extremely
attractive.

Geoffrey Dane dined that night with the doctor and his daughter. He
described the breakdown of the motor in the vaguest terms.

XIII. MY NIECE KITTY

I consider it fortunate that Kitty is my niece. She might have been my
daughter and then I should have had a great deal of responsibility and
lived a troublous life. On the other hand if Kitty had not bee