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XXXVII. IN THE NEW FOREST
At Ringwood they lunched, and Jessie met with a disappointment. There
was no letter for her at the post office. Opposite the hotel, The
Chequered Career, was a machine shop with a conspicuously second-hand
Marlborough Club tandem tricycle displayed in the window, together with
the announcement that bicycles and tricycles were on hire within. The
establishment was impressed on Mr. Hoopdriver's mind by the proprietor's
action in coming across the road and narrowly inspecting their machines.
His action revived a number of disagreeable impressions, but, happily,
came to nothing. While they were still lunching, a tall clergyman,
with a heated face, entered the room and sat down at the table next to
theirs. He was in a kind of holiday costume; that is to say, he had a
more than usually high collar, fastened behind and rather the worse for
the weather, and his long-tail coat had been replaced by a black jacket
of quite remarkable brevity. He had faded brown shoes on his feet, his
trouser legs were grey with dust, and he wore a hat of piebald straw
in the place of the customary soft felt. He was evidently socially
inclined.
"A most charming day, sir," he said, in a ringing tenor.
"Charming," said Mr. Hoopdriver, over a portion of pie.
"You are, I perceive, cycling through this delightful country," said the
clergyman.
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