Hooj Beats 



was more than enough for me. AUce could tell if 

 a man was sound as surely as she could a horse. 



She smiled, and then I noticed the smile die 

 away trembling on her lips, and the red pour into 

 her cheeks. Alice almost never blushed. She 

 took her hand from Trotter's slowly, and when I 

 glanced quickly at him to see if he, too, had no- 

 ticed, there was the oddest expression upon his 

 face. 



His eyes were quite wide and filled with wonder, 

 like a child's. I know it was striking enough — 

 the whole episode — to cause me to sing out in my 

 unfortunate, blundering way: 



"Hallo, you two met before .f^" 



But Alice only urged her horse forward, and 

 Trotter looked away and remained staring across 

 the fields as if he were gazing into centuries of 

 space. A few moments later the hounds were 

 off and I had something else to think of besides 

 Alice and Trotter, being mounted on a green 

 three-year-old with a hot temper and just enough 

 thoroughbred in him to make him want to rush 

 his jumps. 



A few hours later when we "killed," and then 

 rode back, I had nearly forgotten all about it. 

 Trotter was very pleasant and amusing, and 

 everybody tried to make him feel at home. 



I don't know whether it was noticed or not — 

 152 



