Page 276 - lady-chatterlys-lover

’If I could only get out and look at the damned thing!’ he
said, exasperated. And he sounded the horn stridently. ‘Per-
haps Mellors can see what’s wrong.’
They waited, among the mashed flowers under a sky soft-
ly curdling with cloud. In the silence a wood-pigeon began
to coo roo-hoo hoo! roo-hoo hoo! Clifford shut her up with
a blast on the horn.
The keeper appeared directly, striding inquiringly round
the corner. He saluted.
’Do you know anything about motors?’ asked Clifford
sharply.
’I am afraid I don’t. Has she gone wrong?’
’Apparently!’ snapped Clifford.
The man crouched solicitously by the wheel, and peered
at the little engine.
’I’m afraid I know nothing at all about these mechanical
things, Sir Clifford,’ he said calmly. ‘If she has enough pet-
rol and oil—’
’Just look carefully and see if you can see anything bro-
ken,’ snapped Clifford.
The man laid his gun against a tree, took oil his coat,
and threw it beside it. The brown dog sat guard. Then he
sat down on his heels and peered under the chair, poking
with his finger at the greasy little engine, and resenting the
grease-marks on his clean Sunday shirt.
’Doesn’t seem anything broken,’ he said. And he stood
up, pushing back his hat from his forehead, rubbing his
brow and apparently studying.
’Have you looked at the rods underneath?’ asked Clifford.