‘Will you lend me half-a-sovereign?’ Vera reiterated, in the same glacial tone, not caring twopence for the presence of Felix.

And Stephen, by means of an interminable silver chain, drew his sovereign-case from the profundity of his hip-pocket; it was like drawing a bucket out of a well.  And he gave Vera half-a-sovereign; and that was like knotting the rope for his own execution.

And while Felix and his three men poured gallons and gallons of petrol into a hole under the cushions of the tonneau, Stephen swallowed his wrath on the pavement, and Vera remained hidden in the shop.  And the men were paid and went off, and Felix took his seat ready to start.  And then Vera came out of the hat place, and the new green hat was on her head, and the old one in a bag in her pretty hands.

‘What do you think of my new hat, Felix?’ she smiled to the favoured chauffeur; ‘I hope it pleases you.’

Felix said that it did.

In these days, chauffeurs are a great race and a privileged.  They have usurped the position formerly held by military officers.  Women fawn on them, take fancies to them, and spoil them.  They can do no wrong in the eyes of the sex.  Vera had taken a fancy to Felix.  Perhaps it was because he had been in a cavalry regiment; perhaps it was merely the curve of his moustache.  Who knows?  And Felix treated her as only a Frenchman can treat a pretty woman, with a sort of daring humility, with worship—­in short, with true Gallic appreciation.  Vera much enjoyed Gallic appreciation.  It ravished her to think that she was the light of poor Felix’s existence, an unattainable star for him.  Of course, Stephen didn’t mind.  That is to say, he didn’t really mind.

The car rushed off in the direction of Exeter, homewards.

That day, by means of Felix’s expert illegal driving, they got as far as Bath; and there were no breakdowns.  The domestic atmosphere in the tonneau was slightly disturbed at the beginning of the run, but it soon improved.  Indeed, after lunch Stephen grew positively bright and gay.  At tea, which they took just outside Bristol, he actually went so far as to praise the hat.  He said that it was a very becoming hat, and also that it was well worth the money.  In a word, he signified to Vera that their first battle had been fought and that Vera had won, and that he meant to make the best of it and accept the situation.

Vera was naturally charmed, and when she was charmed she was charming.  She said to herself that she had always known that she could manage a man.  The recipe for managing a man was firmness coupled with charm.  But there must be no half measures, no hesitations.  She had conquered.  She saw her future life stretching out before her like a beautiful vista.  And Stephen was to be her slave, and she would have nothing to do but to give rein to her caprices, and charm Stephen when he happened to deserve it.