“Not on me,” said Bill. “Hurry up now, can’t you see Mr. Ridgeway beckonin’ or can’t you see anybody any more but dooks?”
“I can see enough to guess it’s dinner time,” Hank returned cheerfully, and they hurried up to find that that was the very item Mr. Ridgeway wanted to discuss with them.
Mr. Ridgeway seemed to be at home wherever his airship happened to light, and signing the visitors’ book, he took his party into the dining-room, where, in a secluded corner, they disposed of a fine luncheon and watched the people come and go.
Mr. Ridgeway found a friend who was going right down into the country where Mrs. Ridgeway was staying and he offered to take him and Lawrence down with him.
So here they parted, and for a long, long time Lawrence was to see no more of the two clever, honest fellows who had gone through such dangerous deeds with them. Lawrence watched them go off together toward the aviation field where the dirigible was waiting.
“A good pair,” said Mr. Ridgeway. “Honest, faithful, and the best airmen that one could ask. Almost as good as you, Lawrence boy. And now we will wait for our friend to take us to Gray Towers where we will find Mrs. Ridgeway. We will surprise her. She does not expect us so soon.”
The road to Gray Towers took them through the loveliest part of lovely England. To Lawrence, it seemed a wonderful experience to bowl along between trim hedges and high walls, then through wonderful forest preserves and clean toy villages.
Their host, Mr. Alden, lived on the estate next to Gray Towers, and gladly took them to the door of the old castle, although Mr. Ridgeway assured him that they could easily walk the short cut of two miles from the great gates to the door. Lawrence would have been glad of the walk when he got glimpses of the deer between the trees, and when dozens of rabbits flashed across the road before them. Lawrence looked so pleased and happy that Mr. Ridgeway put his arm about his shoulders, and asked, “Now aren’t you glad you came?”
“Are we going to stay here in these woods?” asked Lawrence.
“Right here!” Mr. Ridgeway assured him. “The place belongs to my sister’s husband. She married an Englishman, Lord Gray of Gray Towers and there,” he added, “are the Towers themselves.”