IN THE HIDING- SCHOOL. 169 



until you have time to think it over and to prac- 

 tise it by yourself in a chair. And I would 

 rather that you did not leap again in your own 

 way, until you have let me see you do it once or 

 twice more, at least." 



"You did not have to whip my horse to make 

 him leap," Nell says. 



"The whip was not to strike him, but to 

 show him what was ready for him if he refused," 

 says the master. "One must never permit a 

 horse to refuse without punishing him, for other- 

 wise he may repeat the fault when mounted by 

 a poor rider, and a dangerous accident may fol- 

 low. One must never brutalize a horse — in- 

 deed, no one but a brute does — but one must 

 rule him." 



By this time he has taken Nell from her 

 saddle and is in the reception room, where he 

 finds you grouped and gazing at him in a man- 

 ner rather trying even to his soldierly gravity, 

 and decidedly amusing to the wise fairy, who 

 glances at him with a laugh and betakes herself 

 to her own little nest. 



"My young ladies," he says, " I will show 

 you one little leap, not high, you know, but a 



