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 wasall confused in her mind, that which had happened between Mr. Ryan's soresolute "Can't be done, Mrs. Dampier," and its having been "done." Whathad 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 itwould be "all right"? She wasn't sure which of all these things hadbrought her here safely where she was, in the passenger-seat of Paul'sbiplane. She hardly remembered putting on the rough and voluminous brownclothes while Mr. Ryan mounted guard over the little stokehole of thesteam chambers.
She only knew that she had walked, easily and undiscovered, across thefield before the whistle blew. That she'd climbed unassisted into thatsmall wicker seat, and that she was now waiting there, muffled up to thetip of her nose, the edge of the cap almost meeting the muffler, gogglesdown, and gloves hiding her little hands. She was no more to bedistinguished from a man than if she had been a diver encased for adescent into the sea.
She did not even trouble to wonder at her own wonderful luck in theaffair.
A thousand little accidents might have betrayed her--and and she hadescaped 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 handhad been answer enough for him. It had been all right. And of courseeverything 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 anotherminute--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 thosebig 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 saysomething grave, but she ended lightly, "Well, you've a glorious day forit. 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 intohis 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 ofmen with wide-open mouths seemed to slide back. The Aeroplane bumpedover the rough field. And then it ceased to bump. Gwenna drew in herbreath, sharply. To right of her, to left of her, the horizon seemed tosway ever so gently. She thought, but was not sure, that she heardPaul'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 smoothestbit 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 Ilet him go without saying good-bye!"
Here she had a glimpse of the khaki-green earth far below, as blurredwith height and speed as was the raving invisible propeller itself.
For at last--at last--it was flight!