For some minutes the chauffeur kept his eyes on the road ahead and both
hands on the steering-gear. Then one hand moved, the speed of the car
slackened suddenly, and the man turned and spoke over the back of his
seat.
'I hope you'll forgive me,' he said in English.
Margaret started and sat up straight, for the voice was Logotheti's.
The huge goggles, the protecting curtain over half the face, the
wide-visored cap and the turned-up coat collar, had disguised him
beyond all recognition. Even his usually smooth black moustache was
ruffled out of shape, and hid his characteristic mouth.
Margaret uttered an exclamation of surprise, not quite sure whether she
ought to smile or frown.
'I thought Mrs. Rushmore would not like it, if I came for you myself,'
he continued, looking at her through his goggles.
'I'm sure she wouldn't,' Margaret assented readily.
'In point of fact,' Logotheti continued, with a grin, 'she expressed
her opinion of me with extraordinary directness. Suspicious Greek!
Worse than a foreigner! As bad as a Turk! The unprincipled owner of a
harem! It's really true that eavesdroppers never hear any good of
themselves! I never tried it before, and it served me right.' 'You cannot say that I said anything against you,' laughed Margaret. 'I
took your defence.' 'Not with enthusiasm.' Logotheti joined in her laugh.
'You thought there might be just a little prejudice in her opinion and
you told her that Greeks don't have harems. Yes--yes--I suppose that
might be called defending an absent friend.' The car was moving very slowly now.
'If I had known it was you, I would have called you all sorts of
names,' Margaret answered. 'Should you mind taking that thing off your
face for a moment? I don t like talking to a mask, and you may be some
one else after all.' 'No,' said Logotheti, 'I'm not "some one else".' He emphasised the
words that had become familiar to them both. 'I wish I were! But if I
take off my glasses and cap, you will be frightened, for my hair is not
smooth and I'm sure I look like a Greek pirate!' 'I should like to see one, and I shall not be frightened.' He pulled off his cap and glasses, and faced her. She stared at him in
surprise, for she was not sure that she should have recognised him. His
thick black hair stuck up all over his head like a crest, his heavy
eyebrows were as bushy as an animal's fur and his rough and bristling
moustache lent his large mouth and massive jaws a look approaching to
ferocity. The whole effect was rather startling, and Margaret opened
her eyes wide in astonishment. Logotheti smiled.