"We needn't start before half-past three," I said. "Will you wait for me?" She nodded abstractedly. Jonah was dozing over a cigarette. Berry had disappeared. Three minutes later I was sitting in a comfortable coupe, which Miss Childe was driving at an unlawful speed in the direction of Colt. "You drive a lot, don't you?" flashed my companion. "A good deal." "Then I expect you hate being driven by a stranger?" "Not at all. Sometimes, of course----" I waited for us to emerge from between two motor-lorries and a traction-engine. As we were doing over forty-five, the pause was but momentary. "I mean----" "That you're being frightened to death?" "Not to death. I've still got some feeling in my right arm." We dropped down one of the steepest hills I have ever seen, with two bends in it, at an increased speed. "You keep your guardian angel pretty busy, don't you?" A suspicion of a smile played for a second about my lady's lips. "The only thing I'm really frightened of is a hansom cab," she affirmed. "Try and imagine that there are half a dozen round the next corner, will you?" The smile deepened. "Is your heart all right?" she demanded. "It was when we started." "But I know this road backwards." "You needn't tell me that," said I. "We should have been killed long ago if you didn't. Seriously, I don't want to abuse your hospitality, but we're going to have kidneys for breakfast to-morrow, and I should be sorry to miss them." "Are you fond of kidneys?" "Passionately. I used to go out and gather them as a child. In the morning and the meadows. Or were we talking of haddock?" Miss Childe hesitated before replying. "I used to, too. But I was always afraid of their being toadstools. They're poisonous, aren't they?" "Deadly. By the way, there are six hansoms full of toadstools at the cross-roads which I observe we are approaching." "I don't believe you." I was wrong. But there was a waggon full of logs and a limousine full of children, which were rather worse. We proceeded amid faint cries of indignation. "What do you do," said I, "when you come to a level-crossing with the gates shut? " "I don't," said Miss Childe. I was still working this out, when my companion slowed down and brought the car to a standstill in front of a high white gate bearing the legend "Private," and keeping a thin brown road that ran for a little way between fair meadows before plunging into a swaying beechwood. "Anything the matter?" I asked. Miss Childe laid a hand on my arm. "Be an angel," she said in a caressing voice. "Certainly," said I. "With or without wings?" "And open the gate, so that----" "I know," I cried, "I know. Don't tell me. 'So that the automobile may pass unobstructed between the gate-posts.' Am I right?" "How on earth did you know?" "Instinct." I open the door and stepped backwards into the road. "I'm always like this before eating kidneys," I added. As I re-entered the car--