Part 1 (2/2)
”Fifty miles! We can't go above twenty-five an hour through those bad roads. We shall have to be off by nine, if we want to be in time for church. What _will_ they think when they see us marching in?”
”No, no, we mustn't do that. Mrs. Revell would be in a fever the whole time, asking herself, '_Will the pudding go round?_' It really wouldn't be kind,” pleaded Margaret earnestly, and her hearers chuckled reminiscently. Mrs. Revell was a darling, but she was also an appallingly bad housekeeper. Living two miles from the nearest shop, she yet appeared const.i.tutionally incapable of ”thinking ahead”; and it was a common experience to behold at the afternoon meal different members of the family partaking respectively of tea, coffee, and cocoa, there being insufficient of any one beverage to go round.
Margaret's sympathies went out involuntarily towards her friend, but her listeners, it is to be feared, were concerned entirely for themselves.
It might be the custom to abuse the orthodox Christmas dinner, but since it _was_ a national custom which one did not care to break, it behoved one to have as good a specimen as possible, and the prospect of short commons, and indifferent short commons at that, was not attractive.
_Who_ could be sure that the turkey might not arrive at the table singed and charred, and the pudding in a condition of _soup_?
Schoolboy Tom was quick with a suggestion.
”I say--tell you what! Do the surprise-party business, and take a hamper with us. . . . Only decent thing to do, when you march in four strong to another person's feed. Dennis would love a hamper----”
”Ha! Good! Fine idea! So we will! A real old-fas.h.i.+oned hamper, full of all the good things they are least likely to have. Game pie----”
”Tongue--one of those big, s.h.i.+ny fellows, with scriggles of sugar down his back----”
”Ice-pudding in a tin----”
”Fancy creams----”
”French fruits----”
”Crackers! Handsome ones, with things inside that are worth having----”
”Bon-bons----”
Each one had a fresh suggestion to make, and Margaret scribbled them all down on the ivory tablet which hung from her waist, and promptly adjourned into the kitchen to give the necessary orders, and to rejoice the hearts of her handmaidens by granting a day's leave all round.
On further consideration it was decided to attend early service at home, and to start off on the day's expedition at eleven o'clock, arriving at the Revell homestead about one, by which time it was calculated that the family would have returned from church, and would be hanging aimlessly about the garden, in the very mood of all others to welcome an unexpected excitement.
Christmas Day broke clear and bright. Punctual to the minute the motor came puffing along, the youthful-looking chauffeur drawing up before the door with an air of conscious complaisance.
Despite his very professional attire--perhaps, indeed, because of it--so very youthful did he appear, that Jack was visited by a qualm.
”Er--er--are you going to drive us all the way?” he inquired anxiously.
”When I engaged the car, I saw . . . I thought I had arranged with----”
”My father, sir. It was my father you saw. Father said, being Christmas Day, he didn't care to turn out, so he sent me----”
”You are a qualified driver--quite capable . . . ?”
[Sidenote: A Good Start]
The lad smiled, a smile of ineffable calm. His eyelids drooped, the corners of his mouth twitched and were still. He replied with two words only, an unadorned ”Yes, sir,” but there was a colossal, a Napoleonic confidence in his manner, which proved quite embarra.s.sing to his hearers. Margaret pinched Jack's arm as a protest against further questionings; Jack murmured something extraordinarily like an apology; then they all tumbled into the car, tucked the rugs round their knees, turned up the collars of their coats, and sailed off on the smooth, swift voyage through the wintry air.
For the first hour all went without a hitch. The youthful chauffeur drove smoothly and well; he had not much knowledge of the countryside; but as Jack knew every turn by heart, having frequently bicycled over the route, no delay was caused, and a merrier party of Christmas revellers could not have been found than the four occupants of the tonneau. They sang, they laughed, they told stories, and asked riddles; they ate sandwiches out of a tin, and drank hot coffee out of a thermos flask, and congratulated themselves, not once, but a dozen times, over their own ingenuity in hitting upon such a delightful variation to the usual Christmas programme.
More than half the distance had been accomplished; the worst part of the road had been reached, and the car was beginning to b.u.mp and jerk in a somewhat uncomfortable fas.h.i.+on. Jack frowned, and looked at the slight figure of the chauffeur with a returning doubt.
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