He sank down in a shabby, miserable heap in the road, murmuring to himself in his despair, `It's all up! It's all over now! Chains and policemen again! Prison again! Dry bread and water again! O, what a fool I have been! What did I want to go strutting about the country for, singing conceited songs, and hailing people in broad day on the high road, instead of hiding till nightfall and slipping home quietly by back ways! O hapless Toad! O ill-fated animal!'
The terrible motor-car drew slowly nearer and nearer, till at last he heard it stop just short of him. Two gentlemen got out and walked round the trembling heap of crumpled misery lying in the road, and one of them said, `O dear! this is very sad! Here is a poor old thing--a washerwoman apparently--who has fainted in the road! Perhaps she is overcome by theheat, poor creature; or possibly she has not had any food to-day. Let us lift her into the car and take her to the nearest village, where doubtless she has friends.'
They tenderly lifted Toad into the motor-car and propped him up with soft cushions, and proceeded on their way.
When Toad heard them talk in so kind and sympathetic a way, and knew that he was not recognised, his courage began to revive, and he cautiously opened first one eye and then the other.
`Look!' said one of the gentlemen, `she is better already. The fresh air is doing her good. How do you feel now, ma'am?'
`Thank you kindly, Sir,' said Toad in a feeble voice, `I'm feeling a great deal better!' `That's right,' said the gentleman. `Now keep quite still, and, above all, don't try to talk.'
`I won't,' said Toad. `I was only thinking, if I might sit on the front seat there, beside the driver, where I could get the fresh air full in my face, I should soon be all right again.'
`What a very sensible woman!' said the gentleman. `Of course you shall.' So they carefully helped Toad into the front seat beside the driver, and on they went again.
Toad was almost himself again by now. He sat up, looked about him, and tried to beat down the tremors, the yearnings, the old cravings that rose up and beset him and took possession of him entirely.
`It is fate!' he said to himself. `Why strive? why struggle?' and he turned to the driver at his side.
`Please, Sir,' he said, `I wish you would kindly let me try and drive the car for a little. I've been watching you carefully, and it looks so easy and so interesting, and I should like to be able to tell my friends that once I had driven a motor-car!'
The driver laughed at the proposal, so heartily that the gentleman inquired what the matter was. When he heard, he said, to Toad's delight,`Bravo, ma'am! I like your spirit. Let her have a try, and look after her. She won't do any harm.'
Toad eagerly scrambled into the seat vacated by the driver, took the steering-wheel in his hands, listened with affected humility to theinstructions given him, and set the car in motion, but very slowly and carefully at first, for he was determined to be prudent.
The gentlemen behind clapped their hands and applauded, and Toad heard them saying, `How well she does it! Fancy a washerwoman driving a car as well as that, the first time!'
Toad went a little faster; then faster still, and faster.
He heard the gentlemen call out warningly, `Be careful, washerwoman!' And this annoyed him, and he began to lose his head.
The driver tried to interfere, but he pinned him down in his seat with one elbow, and put on full speed. The rush of air in his face, the hum of the engines, and the light jump of the car beneath him intoxicated his weak brain. `Washerwoman, indeed!' he shouted recklessly. `Ho! ho! I am the Toad, the motor-car snatcher, the prison-breaker, the Toad who always escapes! Sit still, and you shall know what driving really is, for you are in the hands of the famous, the skilful, the entirely fearless Toad!'
With a cry of horror the whole party rose and flung themselves on him.
`Seize him!' they cried, `seize the Toad, the wicked animal who stole our motor-car! Bind him, chain him, drag him to the nearest police-station! Down with the desperate and dangerous Toad!'
