Jonah and Co Part 75

She smiled and nodded.

"But I understand," she said, "that you have a wonderful excuse."

"Not for ser-wooning," said I. "Of course we did hurry, but...."

Piers burst in excitedly.

"There isn't another driver in all----"

"Rot," said I. "Jonah would have done it with a quarter of an hour to spare."

So he would.

My cousin would have walked to the train and had a drink into the bargain.

While the train thundered northward through a drowsy world, a council of five sat up in a _salon lit_ and laid its plans. By far its most valuable member was Senor Don Fedriani, travelling by chance from Biarritz to the French capital....

It was, indeed, in response to his telegram from Poitiers that, a few minutes before seven o'clock the next morning, two detectives boarded our train at the _Gare Austerlitz_.

Five minutes later we steamed into the _Quai d'Orsay_.

Jill, carefully primed, was the first to alight.

Except for Piers, Duke of Padua, the rest of us followed as ordinary pa.s.sengers would. It was, of course, plain that we had no connection with Jill....

That Mr. Leslie Trunk should meet her himself was quite in order.

That, having thus put his neck into the noose, he should proceed to adjust the rope about his dew-lap, argued an unexpected generosity.

'Yes, he had sent the wire. He had taken that responsibility. How was Piers? Well, there was plenty of hope.' He patted her delicate hand.

'She must be brave, of course.... Yes, he had just left him. He was in a nursing-home--crazy to see her. They would go there at once.'

We all went 'there' at once--including Piers, Duke of Padua.

Mr. Leslie Trunk, Senor Don Fedriani, and the two police-officers shared the same taxi.

'There' we were joined by Mrs. Trunk.

The meeting was not cordial, neither was the house a nursing-home. I do not know what it was. A glance at the proportions of the blackamoor who opened the door suggested that it was a bastile.

It was thirty hours later that Berry pushed back his chair.

It was a glorious day, and, viewed from the verandah of the Club-house, that smiling pleasaunce, the rolling plain of Billere was beckoning more genially than ever.

So soon as our luncheon had settled, we were to prove its promise for the last time.

"Yes," said Berry, "puerile as it may seem, I a.s.sumed you were coming back. My a.s.sumption was so definite that I didn't even get out. For one thing, Death seemed very near, and the close similarity which the slot I was occupying bore to a coffin, had all along been too suggestive to be ignored. Secondly, from my coign of vantage I had a most lovely view of the pavement outside the station. I never remember refuse looking so superb....

"Well, I don't know how long I waited, but when it seemed certain that you were--er--detained, I emerged from my sh.e.l.l. I didn't like leaving the car unattended, but as there wasn't a lock, I didn't know what to do. Then I remembered that just as the beaver, when pursued, jettisons some one of its organs--I forget which--and thus evades capture, so the careful mechanic removes some vital portion of his engine to thwart the unauthorised. I had a vague idea that the part in question was of, with, or from the magneto. I had not even a vague idea that the latter was protected by a network of live wires, and that one had only to stretch out one's finger to induce a spark about a foot long and a shock from which one will never wholly recover.... I reeled into the station, hoping against hope that somebody _would_ be fool enough to steal the swine....

"Yes, the buffet was closed. Of such is the city of Bordeaux.... When I recovered consciousness I sought for you two. I asked several officials if they had seen two gentlemen. Some walked away as if nettled: others adopted the soothing att.i.tude one keeps for the inebriated. Upon reflection, I don't blame them. I had a weak case....

"At last I returned to the car. Alas, it was still there. I then had recourse to what is known as 'the process of exhaustion.' In fact, I found it extremely useful. By means of that process I was eventually successful in starting the engine, and, in the same elementary way, I got into top gear. I drew out of that yard with a running backfire nearly blowing me out of my seat.

"Well, the general idea was to find a garage. The special one was to hear what people said when I stopped to ask them the way. The fourth one I asked was a chauffeur. Under his direction, one first of all reduced the blinding stammer of the exhaust to an impressive but respectable roar, and then proceeded in his company to a dairy, a garage, another dairy and a hotel--in that order. I gave that chap a skinful and fifty francs....

"Yesterday I drove home. I can prove it. All through the trams, like a two-year-old. I admit I took over six hours, but I lunched on the way. I trust that two of the poultry I met are now in Paradise.

Indeed, I see no reason to suspect the contrary. So far as I could observe, they looked good, upright fowls. And I look forward confidently to an opportunity of apologising to them for their untimely translation. They were running it rather fine, and out of pure courtesy I set my foot positively upon the brake. Unfortunately, it wasn't the brake, but the accelerator.... My recollection of the next forty seconds is more than hazy. There is, so to speak, a hiatus in my memory--some two miles long. This was partly due to the force with which the back of the front seat hit me in the small of the back. Talk about a blue streak.... Oh, it's a marvellous machine--very quick in the uptake. Give her an inch, and she'll take a h.e.l.l of a lot of stopping. However...."

"Have you seen Roland?" I said.

"Yes. He dined last night. I told him you'd broken down his beauty and that I had administered the _coup de grace_. He quite believed it."

"What did he say?" said Adele.

"Since you ask me," said Berry, "I'll give you his very words. I think you'll value them. 'I tell you,' he said, 'I am very proud. You say she is done. Well, then, there are other cars in the _usine_. But she has saved something which no one can buy in the world--the light in a lady's eyes.'"

There are things in France, besides sunshine, which are not for sale.

THE END

BY THE SAME AUTHOR

Published by

WARD, LOCK AND CO., LTD.

BERRY AND CO.

JONAH AND CO.

ADeLE AND CO.

AND BERRY CAME TOO ANTHONY LYVEDEN VALERIE FRENCH THE BROTHER OF DAPHNE THE COURTS OF IDLENESS AND FIVE WERE FOOLISH AS OTHER MEN ARE THE STOLEN MARCH MAIDEN STAKES BLIND CORNER PERISHABLE GOODS BLOOD ROYAL FIRE BELOW SAFE CUSTODY STORM MUSIC SHE FELL AMONG THIEVES SHE PAINTED HER FACE THIS PUBLICAN GALE WARNING SHOAL WATER PERIOD STUFF AN EYE FOR A TOOTH