"Thank you," he replied, "certainly."
"No," said the gentleman, "not at all--on the contrary, Who the hell are you?""A public man," said Mr.Lavender, surprised; "at least," he added conscientiously, "I am not quite certain.""Well," said the gentleman, "you've jolly well stolen my stunt.""Who, then, are you?" asked Mr.Lavender.
"I?" replied the gentleman, evidently intensely surprised that he was not known; "I--my name----"But at this moment Mr.Lavender's attention was diverted by the sight of Blink making for the horizon, and crying out in a loud voice: "My dog!"he dropped the coat in which he was still enveloped and set off running after her at full speed, without having taken in the identity of the gentleman or disclosed his own.Blink, indeed, scenting another flight in the air, had made straight for the entrance of the enclosure, and finding a motor cab there with the door open had bolted into it, taking it for her master's car.Mr.Lavender sprang in after her.At the shake which this imparted to the cab, the driver, who had been dozing, turned his head.
"Want to go back, sir?" he said.
"Yes," replied Mr.Lavender, breathless; "London."