“No. When we get into the house I’ll explain. Sit tight, it’s a bit bumpy.” Kenneth drove slowly over a surface that resembled a ploughed field. Through the gathering darkness they could see a cottage, some yards distant. Before it Kenneth stopped again. “Jump out, sir. You’ll find the door on the latch. I’m just going to shove the car into the shed. You’ll find matches and candles inside. I won’t be a minute!”

The general seized him by the coat collar and tried to shake him. As he was a small man, and Peter stood six foot two in his stockinged feet, this attempt failed.

“Explain yourself this instant!” raved the general.

Kenneth disengaged himself.

“Now look here, pater, keep cool! I’m not going to explain out here. Go into the house and light a candle!”

“Where are we?” cried his father.

“In Hampshire—on the moor. Now do get out, sir!”

The general fought for words. Kenneth pushed him gently out of the car. Then he drove on and parked it in a ramshackle shed. When he came back to the cottage he found his father had lighted a candle and was engaged in ramping up and down the uneven floor of the kitchen like one possessed.

Kenneth shut the door and threw his gloves on to the table. He picked up the matches and knelt down before the fireplace. It was ready laid and the wood was dry. Kenneth tended it for some moments, and then stood up. Next he lighted an oil lamp and set it on the table.

“Now we’re comfortable,” he remarked.

“Comfortable?” roared the general. “Comfortable? You young scoundrel, what do you mean by it?”

“Well, I’m just going to tell you,” said Kenneth. He coaxed his father into a chair. “I’m afraid you won’t be awfully bucked at the scheme, but I can’t help it. You see, you wouldn’t listen to the idea of my marriage to Ursula, so I had to think of a way of making you see reason. I wanted to marry Ursula without your consent, but she wouldn’t have it at any price. Said it wasn’t fair, and so on and so forth. So I thought it all out carefully, and suddenly I had an absolute brain-wave. Sort of impulse, if you know what I mean. Woke up one morning and the thing came to me. I decided that the best thing I could do would be to kidnap you. Jolly sound scheme, don’t you think? Anyway, I didn’t waste any time, but jumped out of bed and set about it. I found this little shanty the very first day—saw it was empty, and bought it. Chap who owns it was glad to get rid of it as it’s practically breaking down, ’sides being such miles from anywhere, and not water-tight. I didn’t think that mattered much, so I closed the deal and set about making preparations. Got a fence shoved up and brought a few miles of barbed wire down from London. Jimmy Fairfax helped me to fix it up inside the fence, and I can tell you it’s a pretty neat thing. Took the deuce of a time to do, though, but I don’t grudge that. Well, then I imported a lot of food-stuff in tins, and some furniture and what not, and here we are. That suitcase you saw has got your clothes in it. Shaving tackle, and all the rest of it. I don’t think I’ve forgotten anything.”