"Now, are you ready?"
"Yes," I snapped.
In an instant he had me by the waist between two hands which felt strong
as steel buckles, and swung me up like a feather on to the first step of
the broken stairs. Then, in another second, he was at my side,
supporting me to the top without a word, except a muttered "Don't be
childish!" when I would have pushed away his arm.
Strange to say, I forgot Lady Turnour and Sir Samuel until we saw the
guide, to whom long ago Mr. Dane had called up a reassuring _"Tout va
bien!_" Then, suddenly, the awful truth sprang into my mind. All this
time they had been waiting for me! What would they say? What would they
do?
In my horror, I even forgot my righteous anger with the chauffeur. "Oh!"
I gasped. "_The Turnours!_"
Then Mr. Dane spoke kindly again. "Don't worry," he said. "It's all
right. They've gone on."
"In the car?" I cried.
"No. Sir Samuel can't drive the car. And as Lady Turnour thought she had
a chill, rather than wait for me to find you they took a carriage which
was here, and drove down to St. Remy. They'll go on by rail to Avignon,
and--"
"There must have been a dreadful row!" I groaned.
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