"But it just is another runaway expedition—though not a bicycle," said the girl, and thereupon poured into his ears the story of Alice Meynell and her woes.
At first he laughed, and said she was in danger of becoming quite an accomplished plotter; but, as the story went on, he grew grave.
"It is a mad idea, Miss Britton," he said. "I am sorry you are mixed up in the matter. Would it not have been better for you to write to the girl's father and tell him all this?"
Barbara looked vexed.
"How silly of me!" she exclaimed. "Do you know, I never thought of that; and, of course, it would have been quite simple. It was foolish!"
"Never mind now," he said consolingly, seeing how downcast she looked. "I am sure it must have been difficult to decide; and now that the enterprise is fairly embarked on, we must carry it through as well as possible. I think the station here would be one of the first places they would send to when they found she had gone; but we can cycle to the next one and send the machines back by train—she will be so much sooner out of St. Servan."
Barbara agreed gratefully. She was glad that there would be no need for the dark cupboard, and felt much happier now that the immediate carrying out of the plan was in some one else's hands. So she fixed an approximate hour for the "Pretender" to be ready next day, and then said good-bye.
"I will postpone my call on Mademoiselle Loiré till another time," he remarked. "I only hope that nothing will prevent that terrible young lady of yours getting off to-morrow."
"I hope not," sighed Barbara. "She may not even manage to get to the baths at all. If so, we'll have to think of something else."
"Komm Tag, komm Rat," he said cheerily, as he turned away. "Perhaps we may yet want the cupboard."