the floor, and felt once more in his pocket.

"How far off is the garage?" he asked.

"It's right across the way," the innkeeper replied, "a speculation
of Neighbour Martin's, and a foolish one it do seem to me. He's two
cars there, and one he lets to the Government for delivering the
mails."

Gerald felt in his pocket and produced a sovereign.

"Give this," he said, "to any man you can find who will go across
there and bring me a car--the most powerful they've got, if there's
any difference. Tell them I'll pay well. This--my friend will be
much better at home with me than in a strange place when he comes
to his senses."

"It's sound common sense," the woman declared. "Be off with you,
Richard."

The man was looking at the coin covetously, but his wife pushed him
away.

"It's not a sovereign you'll be taking from the gentleman for a
little errand like that," she insisted sharply. "He shall pay us
for what he's had when he goes, and welcome, and if so be that he's
willing to make it a sovereign, to include the milk and the brandy
and the confusion we've been put to this night, well and good. It's
a heavy reckoning, maybe, but the night calls for it. We'll see
about that afterwards. Get along with you, I say, Richard."