‘Can’t I go?’
‘As though you could!’
In silence they gazed at each other. The stars were growing brighter. Their faces stood out now as something white in the darkening landscape.
‘Well, but, Christopher——’ began Catherine incredulously.
‘If I thought we could by walking get anywhere within reasonable time, I’d leave the blighted machine here to its fate. But we might get lost, and wander round for hours. And besides, where would we find a railway station? Miles and miles we might have to go.’
‘That wouldn’t matter. I mean, however late we got to London wouldn’t matter as long as we did get there.’
‘I quite see we’ve jolly well got to get there. What beats me is how.’
Catherine was silent. They were indeed, as Christopher said, in a fix. She would even, mentally, agree with him that it was a hell of a one.
‘Catherine, I’m sorry,’ he said, laying his hand on hers.
The words but feebly represented his feelings. He was crushed by his folly, by his idiotic forgetfulness in Salisbury. Would she ever trust herself with him again? If she didn’t, he deserved all he got.