Here the motorcars invaded the streets in far greater numbers than in the villages. It made navigation in a horse-drawn trap a hazardous experience, not only from the aspect of maneuvering past the bulky machines, but also the sudden bangs and pops that erupted from them could startle a frisky mare into rearing onto its back legs—or worse, racing down the street in terrified flight, dragging its helpless victims with it. Baxter sat in tense silence once they reached the outskirts of the town. Cecily had complete faith in Samuel’s capabilities and was more inclined to be fatalistic about the situation. Deciding that Baxter needed something to keep his mind from imagining any number of dire mishaps, she kept up a stream of chatter, talking about anything that came into her head. “You know,” she said as they moved in a series of stops and starts down the High Street, “I have been reading about all these kinemas opening up. It would seem as if the moving pictures industry is growing very fast.
