The Voice in the Fog - Page 2/93

"It's hard luck," said Crawford, sympathetically. "It will be half an

hour before they get this tangle straightened out."

"I shouldn't mind, Jim, if it weren't for Kitty," replied his wife. "I

am worried about her."

"Well, I simply could not drag her into this coupé and get into hers

myself. She's a heady little lady, if you want to know. As it is,

she'll get back to the hotel quicker than we shall. Her cab is five

up. If you wish, I'll take a look in and see if she's all right."

"Please do;" and she smiled at him, lovely, enchanting.

"You're the most beautiful woman in all this world!"

"Am I?"

Click! The light went out. There was a smothered laugh; and when the

light flared up again, the aigrette in her copper-beech hair was all

askew.

"If anybody saw us!"--secretly pleased and delighted, as any woman

would have been who possessed a husband who was her lover all his

waking hours.

"What! in this fog? And a lot I'd care if they did. Now, don't stir

till I come back; and above all, keep the light on."

"And hurry right back; I'm getting lonesome already."

He stepped out of the coupé. Harlequin, and Colombine, and

Humpty-Dumpty; shapes which came out of nowhere and instantly vanished

into nothing, for all the world like the absurd pantomimes of his

boyhood days. He kept close to the curb, scrutinizing the numbers as

he went along. Never had he seen such a fog. Two paces away from the

curb a headlight became an effulgence. Indeed, there were a thousand

lights jammed in the street, and the fog above absorbed the radiance,

giving the scene a touch of Brocken. All that was needed was a witch

on a broomstick. He counted five vehicles, and stopped. The

door-window was down.

"Miss Killigrew?" he said.

"Yes. Is anything wrong?"

"No. Just wanted to see if you were all right. Better let me take

your place and you ride with Mrs. Crawford."

"Good of you; but you've had enough trouble. I shall stay right here."

"Where's your light?"

"The globe is broken. I'd rather be in the dark. Its fun to look

about. I never saw anything to equal it."

"Not very cheerful. We'll be held up at least half an hour. You are

not afraid?"

"What, I?" She laughed. "Why should I be afraid? The wait will not

matter. But the truth is, I'm worried about mother. She would go to

that suffragette meeting; and I understand they have tried to burn up

the prime minister's house."