nner party of his. I'm sure you must be very tired."

But the girl firmly refused to go home without the car. Her plan was to
go back with Jones, if Jones could be persuaded to start, and then drive
home when the car was set right.

"Very well," said Geoffrey, "let's go and get Jones. We'll all go back
together. I can stop the night in Hamley and go on to-morrow morning."

He rather expected a protest from the girl, a protest ending in warm
thanks for his kindness. He received instead a remark which rather
surprised him.

"I daresay," she said, "that you'd rather like to see what really is
the matter with the car. It will he so much knowledge gained for you
afterwards. And you do take an interest in mechanics, don't you?"

Geoffrey, in the course of his operations on the car, had several times
professed a deep interest in mechanics. He recollected that, just at
first, he had boasted a good deal about his skill and knowledge. He
suspected that the girl was laughing at him. This irritated him, and
when he reached the George Inn he was in no mood to listen patiently to
Jones' refusal to leave the dinner.

Jones did refuse, firmly and decisively. Geoffrey argued with him,
attempted to bribe him, finally swore at him. The girl stood by and
laughed. Jones turned on her truculently.

"If young ladies," he said, "would stay in their homes, which is the
proper place for them, and not go driving about in motor cars, there'd
be less trouble in the world; and decent men who work hard all day would
be left to eat their dinners in peace."

The girl was entirely unabashed.

"If decent men," she said, "would think more about their business and
less about their dinners, motors wouldn't break down six miles from
home. You were supposed to have overhauled that car last week, Jones,
and you told father yourself that the engine was in first rate order."

"No engine will go," said Jones, "if you don't know how to drive it.

"Look here," said Geoffrey, "hop into my car. I'll have you there in
less than half an hour. We'll bring a rope with us, and if you can't
make the car start at once, we'll tow it home. It won't be a long job.
I'll undertake to have you back here in an hour. Your dinner won't be
cold by that time."

He took Jones by the arm and pulled him towards the door of the inn.
Jones, protesting and muttering, gave way at last. He fetched his hat
and coat, and took a seat in Geoffrey's car.

Geoffrey made good his prom