A man like that about the
place would be a great comfort to me. I should have some one to talk
to. I wish I could get you all to understand that I'm acting in this
whole business from purely disinterested and altruistic motives. _I_
don't want to get rid of Simpkins. You and Doyle and the Major do."
"The thing I can't understand," said O'Donoghue, "is what the judge has
to do with Simpkins. If I was clear about that-- What I mean to say
is if I could make out why--"
"Thank goodness," said Meldon, "I've got that beastly pedal fixed
again. Come on, doctor. We haven't a minute to waste. I want to be
in Ballymoy a clear hour before the judge arrives there."
He mounted the bicycle as he spoke, and rode off at full speed. The
slope of the road was downwards from the place of the halt, and
O'Donoghue was able to keep close to Meldon for some time. He made a
number of breathless attempts to speak.
"If you'd only tell me," he panted, "why--"
Sometimes he got a little further than the "why."
He never succeeded in completely finishing his sentence. After a while
he began to drop behind again. On a long level stretch of road Meldon
drew rapidly ahead and might have reached Ballymoy a whole mile in
front of O'Donoghue if the pedal of Doyle's bicycle had not failed him
again.
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