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and had been treasured by Jane ever since. She opened the door, passed through, and locked it after her. As she did so, she realised the sound of the car engine had stopped. Just in front of her stood a row of trees, flanking the drive. Jane passed between two of them - and was instantly splattered from head to foot by a thick spray of cold, dirty water.
    She stood gasping, rubbing the water from her eyes. She heard a squeal of brakes, got her vision cleared, and looked up to see a bright red two-seater open car, which had pulled up a few yards along the drive, facing the house. The young man in the driving seat was looking back over his shoulder, an expression of dismay on his face. He hurriedly put the car into reverse and backed down the drive until he was level with her. In spite of herself, Jane could not help noticing that he had blue eyes and very brown skin.
    'I say, I'm most terribly sorry,' he said, in a pleasant voice. 'I didn't see you until it was too late. Are you in a frightful mess?' He broke off. 'Oh dear, you are, aren't you?'
    For five seconds Jane was speechless. Then she let fly. 'You blithering idiot! Do you always dash along private drives at ninety miles an hour in complete silence?'
    'Well, no. Actually, I was only doing about thirty. And it was so beautifully peaceful I just switched off the engine to coast a little way and enjoy the quietness.'
    'Not caring two hoots that you might knock down some poor footbound pheasant—'
    'Footbound pheasant? Is there one of those around here? How very sad. What's the trouble? Rheumatism of the wings?'
    Jane breathed deeply and clenched her fists at her sides. 'I meant peasant,' she hissed. 'You didn't care what footbound peasant you knocked down.'
    'Oh, I assure you there was never any danger of that. I could have stopped very quickly if anybody'd stepped out. I mean, I didn't hit you—'
    'Thanks for that, anyway.'
    'Everything would have been all right but for an unfortunate combination of circumstances. There's a hollow in the road just here, you see, and it's right in the shadow. Also it was full of water. It must have been left from the heavy rain this morning—'
    'I didn't think it had been left from last January's snow!'
    'I'm trying to say that I'm not really all to blame. I was simply cruising quietly along. I couldn't see the hollow or the water or you. And you know, you did step straight onto the drive without pausing.'
    'Oh, that's right. Motor like a lunatic, half-drown me, and then blame me.'
    'I was not motoring like a lunatic and I am not blaming you. I'm merely exonerating myself. It was an accident.' He was starting to sound cross.
    'I sincerely hope it was an accident! Because if I thought you did it on purpose—'
    'Oh, don't be such an idiot.' He swallowed and apparently with something of an effort, said quietly: 'Are you going up to the house? If so, can I give you a lift?'
    'No thank you. I think I'll be safer if I stay a considerable distance from you.'
    'Just as you wish.' He slammed the car into gear, accelerated, and let in the clutch - just a little too rapidly.
    Now, while they had been talking, the water from the puddle, having spread itself over a larger area when the car first passed through it, had been soaking into the surface of the drive around the rear wheels. The result could have been anticipated: as the wheels spun fiercely Jane was comprehensively sprayed by a fine cloud of muddy specks.
    The young man looked round, realised what he had done, made as if to stop again, seemed to think better of it, and roared away.
    Jane stood quite still. The only word she managed to get out was a long drawn Out 'O-oh.' Then she started to march up the drive, muttering imprecations against all motorists. After a few minutes, however, her anger gave way to misery, and she found herself blinking back tears. Absurd to get so upset. And she'd made a bit of a fool of herself, too, by flying out at him like that. But she hadn't been able to