124 THE SILVER FOX 



orderly in his habits, the work went steadily, 

 and, to all appearance, without effort ; yet, 

 as the time went on, his pale face became 

 jaded and grey, and the lines about his 

 mouth deepened. 



The terrace at French's Court witnessed 

 that afternoon the least dignified of earthly 

 sights — the struggles of a lady-beginner on 

 a bicycle. It was somewhat of a descent 

 from the heroics of forty miles an hour on 

 an engine, yet as Slaney, flushed and dis- 

 hevelled, wobbled to her one-and-twentieth 

 overthrow, the past and future were forgot- 

 ten in the ignoble excitements of the 

 moment. Major Bunbury, himself in no 

 mean condition of heat, picked her up out 

 of a holly-bush and started her again ; he 

 had been doing the same thing for half-an- 

 hour, but it had not seemed to pall. When 

 the two-and-twentieth collapse had been 

 safely accomplished, Slaney confessed to 

 feeling somewhat shattered, and returning 

 to the hall, sank into a chair, with aching 

 knees and hands seamed with gravel. 



