“She is not here,” said Jimmy, “but I’m just after getting a wire from her to say that she’ll be in for her breakfast at half-past nine. It must be that now, if it isn’t past it. Bridgy! Are you there, Bridgy? I say, will you fry a couple of eggs and some rashers for Mr. Goddard? He’ll be taking his breakfast along with the doctor’s young lady as soon as she comes.”
“Look here,” said Mr. Goddard, “there’s no use your trying to pull my leg in this way. Miss Blow can’t be here. She was sound asleep when I left Ballymoy at seven, and she couldn’t possibly do the drive in the time.”
“Not if she drove,” said Jimmy; “but she’d do it on a bicycle.”
“How do you know she has a bicycle?”
“I don’t know. How would I? All I say is that, being the sort of a young lady she is, it’s likely she’d get a bicycle, or for the matter of that a motor car, if so be she wanted one. Anyway, she’ll be here at half-past nine, for that’s what she said.”
“Then,” said Mr. Goddard, “I’ll not stay for breakfast. I’m going up to the Castle. I have business with Lord Manton. And look here, Jimmy, when Miss Blow arrives, if she does arrive, there’ll be no need for you to say anything about my being here. It would only upset her.”
“I will not. Why would I? Hasn’t she trouble enough without that? But tell me now, Mr. Goddard, is it true what I hear them saying about them gentlemen that was through the town yesterday on their bicycles?”
“Is what true?”
“That they’re off.”
“They’re lost,” said Mr. Goddard, “if that’s what you mean.”