Penelope Fretting. 97 



XXXI. 



Let us have a trot, and see how Penelope 

 moves, and how you sit. You, Tom, will take 

 your pace from me. There is nothing more un- 

 horsemanlike and annoying than for a rider to 

 keep half a horse's length in front of his com- 

 panion. Your stirrup should be even with mine. 

 A gentleman can be a foot or two in front of a 

 lady, for safety and convenience, but men should 

 ride as they would walk, all but arm in arm. 

 Now you can see the effects of education. Pe- 

 nelope insists on trotting a twelve-mile gait, and 

 no wonder, for she has such fine, open action, that 

 a sharp gait is less effort to her than a slow one. 

 On the contrary, I, who, as the senior, have the 

 right to give the pace, am satisfied with two- 

 thirds that speed ; and Patroclus, who, as you 

 well know, can easily out-trot, or, I fancy, out-run 

 your mare, and would dearly like to try it, yields 

 himself to my mood without an ounce of pull or 

 friction. Look at his reins. They are quite loose. 

 Now look at yours. Nelly is pulling and fretting 

 for all she is worth, while you are working your 

 passage. Two miles like that will take three out 

 of her and five out of you. She will fume her- 

 self into a lather soon, while Pat will not have 

 turned a hair. She certainly is a candidate for 

 training. You appear to need all the strength of 



