FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   8   9   10   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32  
33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   >>   >|  
ly disguised relief in her tones. "Come, won't you, and speak to him." The interruption broke the spell. The driver averted his eyes and stooped over his engine; Merriman turned towards the girl, and the little incident was over. It was evident to Merriman that he had in some way put his foot in it, how he could not imagine, unless there was really something in the matter of the number plate. But it was equally clear to him that his companion wished to ignore the affair, and he therefore expelled it from his mind for the moment, and once again following the direction of her gaze, moved towards a man who was approaching from the far end of the shed. He was tall and slender like his daughter, and walked with lithe, slightly feline movements. His face was oval, clear skinned, and with a pallid complexion made still paler by his dark hair and eyes and a tiny mustache, almost black and with waxed and pointed ends. He was good-looking as to features, but the face was weak and the expression a trifle shifty. His daughter greeted him, still with some perturbation in her manner. "We were just looking for you, daddy," she called a little breathlessly. "This gentleman is cycling to Bordeaux and has run out of petrol. He asked me if there was any to be had hereabouts, so I told him you could give him some." The newcomer honored Merriman with a rapid though searching and suspicious glance, but he replied politely, and in a cultured voice: "Quite right, my dear." He turned to Merriman and spoke in French. "I shall be very pleased to supply you, monsieur. How much do you want?" "Thanks awfully, sir," Merriman answered in his own language. "I'm English. It's very good of you, I'm sure, and I'm sorry to be giving so much trouble. A liter should run me to Bordeaux, or say a little more in case of accidents." "I'll give you two liters. It's no trouble at all." He turned and spoke in rapid French to the driver. "Oui, monsieur," the man replied, and then, stepping up to his chief, he said something in a low voice. The other started slightly, for a moment looked concerned, then instantly recovering himself, advanced to Merriman. "Henri, here, will send a man with a two-liter can to where you have left your machine," he said, then continued with a suave smile: "And so, sir, you're English? It is not often that we have the pleasure of meeting a fellow-countryman in these wilds." "I suppose not, sir, but I can assu
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   8   9   10   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32  
33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Merriman

 

turned

 
French
 

monsieur

 

daughter

 

moment

 

trouble

 
Bordeaux
 
driver
 

English


slightly

 

replied

 

answered

 
language
 

Thanks

 

suspicious

 

glance

 
politely
 

searching

 

newcomer


honored

 

cultured

 

supply

 

pleased

 

machine

 

continued

 
suppose
 

countryman

 

fellow

 

pleasure


meeting

 

advanced

 

accidents

 

liters

 

looked

 

concerned

 

instantly

 

recovering

 

started

 

stepping


giving

 
shifty
 

ignore

 

wished

 

affair

 
expelled
 

companion

 

equally

 

matter

 

number