BY THE LIGHT OF THE MOON. 71 



' Upon my word I think you are right,' replied his lordship. 

 ' By the way, have you and he smoked the calumet over that 

 poacher-fellow ?' 



' Not a bit of it,' rejoined the Captain. 'And it is my belief, 

 now that I can be calm on the subject, — I was anything but that 

 when I gorged the bait, — that he meant this match as a sort of 

 Rowland for my Oliver.' 



' But where is he ? Ah, there goes the quarter !' 



The sound of the chimes, as it floated on the gentle night 

 breeze from the tower of Thornford parish church across Windy- 

 holm, was heard and noted by the crowd, now wrought up into 

 a nervous state of expectancy by the continued absence of the 

 Squire. Hartbrook, unshaken until this moment in his trust in 

 the absentee's turning up in time, began to waver. Something 

 had happened. Confound that Grimstowe ! His bet with him 

 was P.P. What zvoiild his wife say ? 



A sound of wheels. * Hurrah !' 



The cheer was not thrown away. It zvas the Squire, driving 

 a dogcart at a rate which an officer of the county constabulary 

 would have pronounced dangerous, had anybody but the Squire 

 held the ribbons. He pulled up by the paddock-rails, and, leaping 

 out, turned to assist his companion to alight, saying as he did so, 



' Hartbrook, where are you ? Take care of these. Now, Redgy, 

 come with me.' 



' Why, it's his son Reginald !' 



In the hubbub caused by the arrival of Mr. Whinridge and 

 his youngest son, a pale thin boy of about twelve years of age, 

 it was by no means easy for the principals in the little drama to 

 make the preparations necessary for raising the curtain. 



Hartbrook, proud of his office, carried a light racing-saddle 

 and its necessary ' accompaniments,' and, walking by the side of 

 the youth, followed the Squire into the paddock. 



' I guessed it would be you. Master Redgy,' said Hartbrook, 

 in a gleeful whisper; 'and I've backed you. It's a splendid 

 moon, and you know the track.' 



' I should think I did, Mark. And you too, eh ? Recollect 

 when I would insist on your taking me the whole line, you on 

 old Goliath and I on my pony Lilliput ? And how frightened 

 mamma was ; and how the guv. tipped me a sov., eh, Mark?' 



Hartbrook's memory was fully as retentive of those forbidden 

 adventures as the boy's, but he did not consider this as an appro- 

 priate occasion for refreshing it. 



