"Yes," said Gentian unguardedly; "I had already seen them at the inn." "Would you have liked their help?" "I should not have asked for it." "But they would have offered it, of course." "Well, I can look after myself. Girls have to do so nowadays." "They never will if I have anything to do with them." Thorold spoke sharply, and very determinedly. "Yesterday you were mercifully kept from harm, but did not your experience show you that you were absolutely unfitted to run a car as a man could?" "No," flashed forth Gentian; "it didn't. Difficulties make me long to overcome them. I won't be crushed by them. I think the jack must have been rusty. I shall practice using it till I can do it quite easily." "It must be stopped, Gentian. We will find something else for you to do. You cannot run a car for the benefit of the public." Gentian looked out of the window. When she turned round tears were trembling on the tips of her eyelashes. "You have no right to dictate to me," she said, trying to maintain her dignity. "Cheer up," Thorold said. "I don't want to take your car from you. But you must promise me that you'll never take any long journey so late in the day. And I'll see if we can't find something better for you to do." "If your car is for hire, you can't dictate to people the time you go." "Well, we'll trust you won't be asked to go off to London so late in the day again. And if it did happen that you were asked to take a night journey, you must absolutely refuse." Gentian said nothing. "I'm in dead earnest," Thorold said, looking at her. "Oh," said Gentian passionately, "I haven't a friend in the world except Waddy. Jim has left me, and you're determined to refuse me my liberty and shut me up here, and take away from me the only hope of earning my living and being independent." "Oh no. I will help you to be independent if I can. We won't quarrel. It's only because I want you to be shielded from unpleasantness and harm that I object to this car business. Forgive me, and let us part friends." He smiled upon her, and when Thorold smiled he was irresistible. Gentian put her hand into his. "Interfering with the object of doing others good, is your besetting sin, I think, Cousin Thorold. Good-bye. I was very glad to see you last night. Those woods on each side of me frightened me. I promise you I won't do night journeys again. I don't like them." She had recovered her spirits, but the next morning when she found that Thorold had quietly removed her notice board she was ruffled again. "Was there ever a more arbitrary, meddlesome, managing man than Cousin Thorold!" she said to Miss Ward. "I think he is one of the kindest, truest friends that any girl could wish to have," was Miss Ward's fervent response. And Gentian, seeing she would get no sympathy from her, said no more. She took her car into Winderball nearly every day, and it was astonishing how many fares she got.