"Never mind, little girl," said Jack, cheerily, "sit tight." If she had not been there, he felt that he would have enjoyed the danger; as it was, he sat in torture.
"It is out of control!" cried Kitty; and, peering ahead: "There's—there's a waggon at the bottom of the hill!"
The whistle hooted and hooted; she gave the car the brake; and at each leap it jarred every bone in her body. They rushed towards the waggon; if the waggon was not on its right side of the road, they were smashed: they were upon it; Kitty screamed out; there was a snapping crash; then they were rushing along the empty road with the left splash-board torn off. Kitty lay back in a dead faint. Jack caught the steering-gear in his right hand, raised Kitty with his left arm, and twisted into her place, holding her on his knees. The car began to slacken and go smoother up the opposite hill; in three minutes it was steady again. Kitty lay heavy and still in his arms, her face very white in the moonlight; her faint breathing scarce parted her lips.
Uphill and downhill, through villages, through another town the car fled on. Now and again Kitty murmured a word, now she seemed to sleep. The night was wearing on. At last it seemed to him that the beast was tiring; and he scarce dared believe it. But breasting the next long hill it slowed and slowed; its moan hushed; it came to a crawl. Thirty yards from the top it stopped a moment, moved on again, then stopped for good. For all its danger he sighed that their ride was at an end. Kitty never stirred; he gave her a little shake; and she sighed too, and raised herself. They looked down on a great stretch of country; here and there the dim twinkling showed the lights of a town.
"There are some biscuits and a flask of cherry brandy, if it isn't broken, in the box of your seat," said Kitty, slipping into the place at his side. He fished them out unharmed, and they munched the biscuits, and drank from the flask by turns.
He looked at his watch, and said, "Ten past three! By Jove, we've had a narrow squeak!"
"Three in the morning, and miles from anywhere. I'm hopelessly compromised," said Kitty.
Jack knitted his brows, thinking it out; he could not gainsay it. He said nothing. "Oh!" said Kitty, almost in a wail, "I thought you were a man of honour, Jack."
"Well?" said Jack.