"Because I don't know it either, and I thought—"

"What?"

"Well, you know, we ought to know Oldham—one of us ought to. It was a Unionist gain last time."

"Are you a Unionist?"

"My dear, you see in me—at least you would see in me, if it were not so dark—a high Tory."

"I thought you were a boy-scout."

"The two are not incompatible. Did you see that thing in Ally Sloper last week?"

"No, I didn't. Here's a gate."

I got down and opened it, and she drove carefully through.

It was the first of seven gates. By the time we had done six, I was becoming good at getting up and down, but rather tired. As I resumed my seat for the sixth time, I sighed. For the sixth time she returned me the reins.