He was a little short of breath, and as she came in he was addressing the landlord with much earnestness in the following compact sentences. “Attendez! Ecco! Adesso noi andiamo con questa cattivissimo cavallo a Piedimulera. Si noi arrivero in safety, securo that is, pagaremo. Non altro. Si noi abbiamo accidento Dio--Dio have mercy on your sinful soul. See! Capisce? That's all.” [*] * “Now we will go with this beastly horse to Piedimulera. If we get there safely I will pay. If we have an accident, then--” He turned to Amanda. “Get back into the thing,” he said. “We won't have these stinking beasts think we are afraid of the job. I've just made sure he won't have a profit by it if we smash up. That's all. I might have known what he was up to when he wanted the money beforehand.” He came to the doorway and with a magnificent gesture commanded the perplexed driver to turn the carriage. While that was being done he discoursed upon his adjacent fellow-creatures. “A man who pays beforehand for anything in this filthy sort of life is a fool. You see the standards of the beast. They think of nothing but their dirty little tricks to get profit, their garlic, their sour wine, their games of dominoes, their moments of lust. They crawl in this place like cockroaches in a warm corner of the fireplace until they die. Look at the scabby frontage of the house. Look at the men's faces.... Yes. So! Adequato. Aspettate.... Get back into the carriage, Amanda.” “You know it's dangerous, Cheetah. The horse is a shier. That man is blind in one eye.” “Get back into the carriage,” said Benham, whitely angry. “I AM GOING TO DRIVE!” “But--!” Just for a moment Amanda looked scared. Then with a queer little laugh she jumped in again. Amanda was never a coward when there was excitement afoot. “We'll smash!” she cried, by no means woefully. “Get up beside me,” said Benham speaking in English to the driver but with a gesture that translated him. Power over men radiated from Benham in this angry mood. He took the driver's seat. The little driver ascended and then with a grim calmness that brooked no resistance Benham reached over, took and fastened the apron over their knees to prevent any repetition of the jumping out tactics. The recovering landlord became voluble in the doorway. “In Piedimulera pagero,” said Benham over his shoulder and brought the whip across the white outstanding ribs. “Get up!” said Benham. Amanda gripped the sides of the seat as the carriage started into motion. He laid the whip on again with such vigour that the horse forgot altogether to shy at the urchin that had scared it before. “Amanda,” said Benham leaning back. “If we do happen to go over on THAT side, jump out. It's all clear and wide for you. This side won't matter so--” “MIND!” screamed Amanda and recalled him to his duties. He was off the road and he had narrowly missed an outstanding chestnut true.