Page:Herbert Jenkins - The Rain Girl.djvu/135

 "Perhaps you'd like to sit here, sir," he said. "I'll fetch your hat and stick."

Until that moment Beresford was unconscious of having left them behind him; but then there was no need to remember anything with so able a henchman.

Once more he threw himself down into a corner-seat, and, when the guard had carefully, almost reverently, placed his hat and stick on the rack above him, Beresford found himself faced with the problem of what he was to do on arriving at Folkestone. Obviously the first thing was to secure a vehicle, preferably a taxi, and instruct the driver to follow the Rain-Girl. Once he had discovered where she was going, he could decide upon his course of action.

At Folkestone he was one of the first to leave the train. He had no difficulty in securing a taxi. His request for the hood to be put up seemed likely to produce trouble, the man was obviously of the opinion that his fare was a lunatic; but the promise of double fare mollified the Jehu's grumblings, and achieved Beresford's object. Out of sight he sat and watched. Presently the Rain-Girl emerged, followed by a porter. She, too, chose a taxi, which a minute later drew out, and Beresford instructed his man to follow it.

At last he felt that he had achieved his object. Nothing short of some unforeseen accident could now intervene. He hoped the tyres of his vehicle were all right, and that the man had an ample supply of petrol. As the taxi turned on to the Leas,