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ANTONY had now -- so wonderfully resilient is youth -- won sufficient confidence in himself to realise that there was yet a chance of bringing this dangerous expedition to some sort of successful issue, if fate should prosper them with a straight and empty road. They were not, fortunately, travelling at any tremendous rate of speed; though jumping from the car would have been extremely unwise, it remained a possibility, at least, and if, as was fairly probable, the car had already travelled a considerable distance, its motive power would become exhausted sooner or later and they could dismount safely. In a few curt sentences he explained the situation, as it appeared to him, to his companion.
"I must beg you to believe," he concluded, "that I somehow got a distinct impression of your telling me that you were used to managing these things -- I cannot understand how I could have made such a mistake. I am particular in repeating this, because in case of accident -- and it would be the merest idiocy to deny that a very grave accident is quite likely to happen at any moment -- I do not want you to think too hardly of me. But of course your realise that unless I had been quite certain of your ability I should never have attempted such a foolhardy thing."