"I agree."
"And you don't drive."
"It's out of the question."
"Right. Like to double the bets?"
"No," said Adèle, "they wouldn't. I won't allow it. But I'll bet with you. I can't afford much, but I'll bet you a hundred francs we're there before you."
"I'll give you tens," said my cousin. "And I start in one hour from Now!"
When I say that, upon the word being given, Pong, whose manners had been hitherto above reproach, utterly refused to start or be started, it will be seen that Fate was against us….
It took us exactly two minutes to locate the trouble—which was in the magneto—and just over two hours to put it right.
As we slid out of Angoulême, an impatient clock announced that it was mid-day.
At least the delay had done something. So far as the second wager was concerned, it had altered the whole complexion of the case. We were no longer betting upon anything approaching a certainty. Indeed, unless we could break the back of the distance before daylight failed, our chances of reaching Pau before ten were worth little. If the road to Bordeaux were as fine as that from Poitiers, and Berry could find his form, we should probably run to time. We could not afford, however, to give a minute away.