“It appears that by not doing so I narrowly escaped extinction.”
“She’s a beauty, really, you know—or was,” said George.
“I notice a beautiful hole in the wall. But come, we are being stared at by the whole population. What are you going to do with this beautiful machine of yours?”
“I shall have to put her into garage for to-night, and get her to my workshop for repairs to-morrow. The front wheel is buckled; it’s a wonder the whole thing isn’t smashed. If you had only waited, instead of taking a wretched old fly, we should have been safe home by this time.”
“Meanwhile the fly is waiting. I will leave you to make your arrangements, and may I beg you to be expeditious.”
Maurice Buckland affected at times a formal mode of speech that his brother, fresh from Winchester, found very galling.
Maurice returned to the fly with his sister, ignoring the crowd which had by this time gathered about the car. Having seen this wheeled by a score of helpers into the garage attached to the Old King’s Head, George rejoined the others, and the homeward journey was resumed.
“Just my luck!” said George. “I was going to drive you home in fine style. That’s my new gyro-car.”
“Indeed!”
“It goes like winking.”