essly. "That's right,"
added her husband savagely. "See the humorous side. I may go mad any
minute, but don't let that stop you." And, with that, he set his foot
upon the self-starter.

When he had stopped the engine another three times, he applied the
hand-brake with unnecessary violence, sank back in his seat, and folded
his hands.

My sister and I clung to one another in an agony of stifled mirth.

Berry closed his eyes.

"My work," he said quietly, "is over. I now see that it is ordained
that we shall not leave this spot. There's probably an angel in the
way with a drawn sword, and the car sees it, although we can't. Any
way, I'm not going to fight against Fate. And now don't speak to me.
I'm going to dwell on bullock-carts and goat-chaises and other
horse-drawn vehicles. I shan't last many minutes, and I should like to
die in peace."

With a swift rush, Ping drew up alongside. From its interior Adele,
Jill, Nobby and Jonah peered at us excitedly.

"Hullo!" said the latter. "What's up?"

"Go away," said Berry. "Drive on to your doom. An apparition has
appeared to us, warning us not to proceed. It was quite definite about
it. Good-bye."

"Jonah, old chap," said I, "I'm afraid you're for it. Unless you take
us up, we shall be here till nightfall."

With a groan my cousin opened his door and descended into the road....

One minute later we were at the top of the hill.

"And now," said Daphne, with the _Michelin Guide_ open upon her knees,
"now for Montreuil."

When five minutes had passed and my brother-in-law was breathing
through his nose less audibly, I lighted a cigarette and ventured to
look about me.

It was certainly a fine highway that we were using. Broad, direct,
smooth beyond all expectation, it lay like a clean-cut sash upon the
countryside, rippling away into the distance as though it were indeed
that long, long lane that hath no turning. Presently a curve would
come to save the face of the proverb, but the bends were few in number,
and, as a general rule, did little more than switch the road a point or
two to east or west, as, the mood took them. There was little traffic,
and the surface was dry.

Something had been said about the two cars keeping together, but I was
not surprised when Jonah passed us like a whirlwind before we were
half-way to Samer. He explained afterwards that he had stuck it as
long as he could, but that to hold a car down to twenty on a road lik