human
A gentleman to see you, sir; O’Reilly by name.
gpt
Our excitable Irishman,
human
Ask him in, Mrs. Pouncey, please,
gpt
Sure, I’m delighted to see the two of you, and me not knowing the way, he said as he shook hands.
human
The Government, or the colonel anyway, has taken my tender for the camp waste, and ’tis to you I owe it, and I’ll beg you to drink to the colonel, or anyway the Government; I have the champagne in my pocket ready.
gpt
Jolly good of you, Mr. O’Reilly, said Eves.
human
You’ve come in the nick of time. My friend Templeton wants something to cheer him up.
gpt
Do you say so? What might be the trouble, now?
human
Expound, Bob; your invention, I mean. I should only make a mess of it.
gpt
It was just a notion for driving a car in the opposite direction to what it has been going, the driver swinging round on his seat and automatically bringing into action steering-gear affecting the back wheels instead of the front, or vice versa.
human
Saves turning in a narrow lane, you see,
gpt
Bedad, that would be a blessing to me this dark night, said O’Reilly.
human
But what is the trouble? Funds run out? Would you show me the plans, I’d find the capital—provided they’ll work out, of course.
gpt
Splendid! cried Eves.
human
Here’s the draft specification—but there’s the rub; that smudge of ink. Look here, Bob, just set to work and copy your diagrams while I tell Mr. O’Reilly all about it, and he opens the fizz. We’ve no wine-glasses, only tumblers, but no one will mind that.
gpt
That’s bad, he said.
human
I stopped at the station a while ago to get a London evening paper, and I saw that mayor of yours, Noakes, step into the London train. There was another fellow with him, seeing him off.
gpt
What sort of man?
human
A thick ruffian of a fellow in a long coat and a motor cap. I can’t tell you which of them I dislike the most, by the faces of ’em, I mean—him or Noakes.
gpt
That was Wilkins. There’s no doubt I was right, Bob; Noakes has slunk off to London to get in first; and that was the last train!
human
Drink, my boys, said O’Reilly, who had meanwhile opened his bottle.
gpt
Health to ourselves, and confusion to Noakes. We’ll get the top-side of him yet. There’s one way to do it. ’Tis nine o’clock, and we are a hundred and sixty miles from London—that and a bit over. I’ll drive you up in my car.
human
Magnificent, cried Eves.
gpt
How long will your diagrams take, Bob?
human
Under an hour; but there’s the specification to copy out.
gpt
I’ll do that. Hand over. We’ll be ready in an hour, Mr. O’Reilly.
human
Then I’ll run back to the town and fill up my tank and see to my tyres and lamps, said O’Reilly.
gpt
Be you ready when I call for you, and with luck and no punctures we’ll be in London by six o’clock.