We had packed our things and were waiting for Gottfried Lenz.
He was to collect the car.
Pat and I were going by train.
It was a warm milky day.
The clouds like cotton wool stood motionless in the sky, the hot air quivered above the dunes and the sea lay leaden in a bright shimmering haze.
Gottfried arrived after lunch.
From afar I saw his fair head shining above the hedges.
Not until he turned into the drive to Fraulein Muller's villa did I notice he was not alone—behind him appeared a miniature imitation racing motorist, an enormous checked cap put on with the peak to the back, immense dust goggles, a white overall and a couple of out-size, ruby-red, glowing ears.
"My hat, but it's Jupp!" said I in astonishment.
"The same, Herr Lohkamp," replied Jupp, grinning.
"And the rig!
What's that for?"
"Did you ever see the like of it?" said Lenz delighted, shaking me by the hand. "He's being coached for a racer.
Eight days now I've been giving him driving lessons.
He begged me to let him come to-day.
A good opportunity to make his first cross-country tour."
"Going to break the record, Herr Lohkamp," Judd assured me eagerly.
"And how he'll break it!" Gottfried smirked. "I've never seen the like of him for persecution mania.
The first lesson he tried to overtake a Mercedes-Compressor in our good old taxi.
A perfect little demon."
Jupp was perspiring with happiness and looked at Lenz adoringly.
"I thought I could eat the cheeky blighter, Herr Lenz.
Meant to snap him up in the curve, like Herr Koster."
I could not help laughing.
"You're starting well, Jupp."
Gottfried looked with paternal pride at his pupil.
"First, you snap up that luggage and take it to the station."
"By myself?" Jupp almost exploded with excitement. "Can I drive the bit to the station quite by myself, Herr Lenz?"
Gottfried nodded and Jupp dashed into the house.
We passed up the trunks.
Then we collected Pat and drove to the station.
We were a quarter of an hour too early when we got there.
The platform was empty, only a few milk cans were standing about.
"You'd better push off," said I. "Otherwise you'll never get home."
Jupp at the wheel looked at me, offended.
"You resent such observations, eh?" Lenz asked him.
Jupp sat up.
"I've reckoned it all out most carefully, Herr Lohkamp," said he reproachfully.
"We will be in the workshop comfortably by eight."
"Quite right." Lenz patted him on the shoulder. "Offer to take him on in a bet.
For a bottle of seltzer water."
"Not seltzer water," replied Jupp, "but I'll risk a packet of cigarettes any day."
He looked at me challengingly.
"I suppose you know the road is pretty bad?" I asked.
"All reckoned in, Herr Lohkamp." "What about the corners, have you thought of them?"
"Corners mean nothing to me.
I have no nerves."
"Good, Jupp," said I. "Then I take on the bet.
But Herr Lenz mustn't drive on the way."
Jupp laid his hand on his heart.