Hoopdriver continued the rest of the journey with the same confidence and heroic attitude.
In truth, luck was doing most of the work.
Most of the roads around the area eventually led toward Chichester, so after a few wrong turns, they finally reached the city.
At first, the streets seemed completely deserted.
Everyone appeared to be asleep.
But the Red Hotel was still brightly lit, its windows glowing with warm yellow light.
This was the first time Hoopdriver had ever dared to stay at a “first-class” hotel.
But tonight, he felt ready to dare anything.
As they arrived, the ostler recognized him.
“So you found your young lady after all,” he said.
Hoopdriver answered without hesitation.
“It was all a misunderstanding.”
“My sister had gone to Bognor. I went after her and brought her back here.”
He looked around at the hotel.
“I rather like this place.”
Then he glanced up at the moon.
“And the moonlight is simply wonderful.”
They had already eaten and were exhausted.
Hoopdriver turned to Jessie.
“We’ve had supper, thanks. We’re tired.”
Then, trying to sound as casual as possible, he asked:
“I suppose you don’t want anything, Jessie?”
Just hearing himself call her Jessie made him feel incredibly proud.
And being able to introduce her as his sister made the whole situation even more exciting.
He managed to keep a perfectly serious face.
“Good night, Sis,” he said.
“Pleasant dreams.”
“I’ll just read the newspaper for a little while before I go to bed.”
Inside, however, he was almost bursting with happiness.
This is what real life is like, he thought.
He had behaved like a hero right up to the end of this extraordinary day.
He had started that morning hiding in a little shop beside the Angel Hotel in Midhurst, waiting and watching.
Since then, he had chased after Jessie, lost her, found her again, helped her escape, and ridden with her through the moonlit countryside.
It seemed unbelievable that all of that had happened in a single day.
He suddenly caught himself yawning.
He pulled out his watch.
It was half past eleven.
With the satisfied feeling of a man who had completed a great adventure, Hoopdriver finally headed upstairs to bed.