As I say, I have never in all these years thought of the matter in quite this

way; but then it is perhaps in the nature of coming away on a trip such as this

that one is prompted towards such surprising new perspectives on topics one

imagined one had long ago thought through thoroughly. I have also, no doubt,

been prompted to think along such lines by the small event that occurred an hour

or 50 ago - which has, I admit, unsettled me somewhat.

 

Having enjoyed a good morning's motoring in splendid weather, and having lunched

well at a country inn, I had just crossed the border into Dorset. It was then I

had become aware of a heated smell emanating from the car engine. The thought

that I had done some damage to my employer's Ford was, of course, most alarming

and I had quickly brought the vehicle to a halt.

 

I found myself in a narrow lane, hemmed in on either side by foliage so that I

could gain little idea of what was around me. Neither could I see far ahead, the

lane winding quite sharply twenty yards or so in front. It occurred to me that I

could not remain where I was for long without incurring the risk of an oncoming

vehicle coming round that same bend and colliding into my employer's Ford. I

thus started the engine again and was partially reassured to find that the smell

seemed not as powerful as before.

 

My best course, I could see, was to look for a garage, or else a large house of

a gentleman where there would be a good chance I might find a chauffeur who

could see what the matter was. But the lane continued to wind for some distance,

and the high hedges on either side of me also persisted, obscuring my vision so