142 THE SILVER FOX 



that sense of severance from her affairs that 

 had been his since he and his gun-cases had 

 reappeared at French's Court the evening 

 before. He was not usually sensitive to 

 social temperatures, but it seemed to him 

 that there was something flat and ungenial 

 about the whole party. Bunbury was spas- 

 modically agreeable, Slaney was silent, his 

 wife was heavy-eyed and listless ; he encour- 

 aged and nurtured the bitter conviction that 

 no one wanted him. 



" I suppose you're riding Gambler to- 

 day ? " Major Bunbury was saying to some 

 one in the hall. 



''No," reiDlied Lady Susan, speaking 

 rather quickly and indistinctly, ** I'm riding 

 Mr, Glasgow's old horse, Solomon, you 

 know. He came over last night. I've 

 always wanted to try him." 



Bunbury whistled a few bars of a tune, 

 and knocked down things in the whip- 

 rack. 



'' Hugh's riding that grey," she went on ; 

 "it's quite absurd. He can't do anything 



