CHAPTER IV

THE DEPARTURE FOR FRANCE

Gwenna sat, for the first time in her life, in an aeroplane.

She had very little actual notion of how she came to be there. It was

all confused in her mind, that which had happened between Mr. Ryan's so

resolute "Can't be done, Mrs. Dampier," and its having been "done." What

had prevailed? Her own begging? Mr. Ryan's wish to see his girl? Or her,

Gwenna's, calm assurances, repeated from that day in Wales, that it

would be "all right"? She wasn't sure which of all these things had

brought her here safely where she was, in the passenger-seat of Paul's

biplane. She hardly remembered putting on the rough and voluminous brown

clothes while Mr. Ryan mounted guard over the little stokehole of the

steam chambers.

She only knew that she had walked, easily and undiscovered, across the

field before the whistle blew. That she'd climbed unassisted into that

small wicker seat, and that she was now waiting there, muffled up to the

tip of her nose, the edge of the cap almost meeting the muffler, goggles

down, and gloves hiding her little hands. She was no more to be

distinguished from a man than if she had been a diver encased for a

descent into the sea.

She did not even trouble to wonder at her own wonderful luck in the

affair.

A thousand little accidents might have betrayed her--and and she had

escaped them all. It seemed the most natural thing in the world to her.

Once or twice one of the men had spoken to her, but a wave of the hand

had been answer enough for him. It had been all right. And of course

everything was going to be all right.

She was not going to be put off by pretexts any longer.

And she was not going to be left behind, without him. In another

minute--two minutes--they would be off, he and she!

Furtively she glanced round.

Paul was holding both the Aeroplane Lady's small, capable hands in those

big boy's paws of his.

"Good-bye," he was saying. "So long, I mean. I say, you'll----"

"I'll look after _her_," promised the Aeroplane Lady, very brightly.

"Thanks awfully. You would," said Paul. "Bless you."

"My dear boy----" began the Aeroplane Lady as if she were going to say

something grave, but she ended lightly, "Well, you've a glorious day for

it. The best of luck!--And to you, Mr. Ryan!"

Again the passenger waved a gloved hand in reply.

Then Gwenna felt the tip and creak of the machine, as Paul climbed into

his place behind her.

Andre dashed up to grasp his hand, calling "_Bonne chance!_"

"Thanks!" said Paul. "Right away."

Then, as the propeller pulsed like an angry nerve, Gwenna gave a start.

An appalling roar and wind seemed all about her. Faintly, very faintly,

the noise of the good-bye cheer rose through it. The hat-waving group of

men with wide-open mouths seemed to slide back. The Aeroplane bumped

over the rough field. And then it ceased to bump. Gwenna drew in her

breath, sharply. To right of her, to left of her, the horizon seemed to

sway ever so gently. She thought, but was not sure, that she heard

Paul's voice behind her, bawling, "Trim."

As she settled herself in her seat, the horizon fell away altogether....

All was sunlit blue! The swiftest run in the motor down the smoothest

bit of hill had been nothing to this that was coming; faster, faster....

"There's only one pity," she thought hastily. "He's thinking now that I

let him go without saying good-bye!"

Here she had a glimpse of the khaki-green earth far below, as blurred

with height and speed as was the raving invisible propeller itself.

For at last--at last--it was flight!