Page:Lady Athlyne (IA ladyathlyne00stok).pdf/129

 another three years. I was promising myself a long rest, or a spell in a civilised place anyhow. It is too bad, just when I was expecting home my new Delaunay-Belleville car which has been nearly a year in hand."

"Do you take the car with you?" asked Athlyne feeling a queer kind of beating of his heart.

"No. It would be useless there; at all events until I see what the country and the roads are like. I was just off to the agents to tell them to sell it for me."

"Strange we should meet. I came here to look up the address of an agent. I want to buy a car."

"Look here, Athlyne; why not take over this? I shall have to sell it at a sacrifice, and why shouldn't you have the advantage. I'll let you have it cheap; I would rather clear it all up before I go."

"All right, old chap. I'll take it. What's the figure?"

"I agreed to pay £1,000. You may have it at what you think fair!"

"All right. Can we settle it now?"

"By all means." Athlyne took out his cheque-book and wrote a cheque which he handed to the other.

"I say," said Chetwynd. "You have made this for the full sum."

"Quite so! What else could I offer. Why man, do you think I would beat you down because you are in a hurry. If there is any huckstering it is I who should pay. I get my car at once, the very car I wanted. I should have to wait another year."

Three days after, the car arrived. Athlyne had spent the time in getting lessons at a garage and learning something of the mechanism. He was already a fair mechanic and a fine driver of horses; so that before another week was out he had learned to know his car. He got a good chauffeur so that he would always have help in case of need; and before the next letter arrived from Miss Judy he was able to fly about all over the country. The new car was a