36 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 



all difficulty I believe, had she been alone, she would have succeeded 

 in mounting, her friend and her horse placed her in an awkward 

 dilemma. She was compelled from time to time to use one hand to 

 disengage the folds of her habit, and she had to hold both horses, 

 even if her friend could have gained her saddle unassisted. Neither 

 horse would stand still ; the one, as is invariably the case in such 

 little difficulties, setting a bad example, which the other was not 

 slow to follow. To hold two horses, keep clear of her own habit, 

 while the horses were shifting their positions continually, and give 

 her friend even the least help in mounting, proved too much even 

 for the highly-finished lady equestrian, and as the contretemps 

 occurred on a lone country road, I believe they would have been 

 compelled to lead their horses a considerable distance, had I not 

 chanced opportunely to arrive. In such places as Rotten-row a lady 

 instructor may get on tolerably well with her pupil, because, in case 

 of any mishap, there are plenty of men always at hand who know 

 what a horse is ; but in out-of-the-way country places it is very 

 different. The British rustic, whatever other good qualities he may 

 possess, is not celebrated, as a rule, for over politeness to ladies — 

 strangers particularly. In proof of the above, there is a story current 

 in this neighbourhood which is likely enough to be true, although I 

 cannot vouch for it myself. The tale runs thus : — A lady (one of 

 the daughters of a noble house) having married, had gone abroad 

 with her husband, and been absent from the home of her early days 

 so long that the uprising generation of young people about the 

 estate knew her not. She was taking a ride one day unattended, 

 and mounted on a steady cob, had been visiting the long-cherished 

 scenes of her childhood, when she came to a very awkward bridle 

 gate, seated on which was a juvenile "wopstraw" in duck frock, 

 leather leggings, and wideawake. The boy jmnped down and 

 opened the gate for the lady, at the same time takmg off his hat. 

 Now the fair recipient of this delicate attention was well aware of 

 the fact that the village people on the paternal estate were celebrated 

 in the county for their rough manners to strangers, ladies forming no 

 exception, so she was agreeably surprised at the exceptional good 

 behaviour- of the youngster, the more so as she was quite sure he 



