THE HAUGHTYSHIRE HUNT. 159 



that the ram was rapidly takmg all the curl out of her hah", 

 dampmg her cravat, and, m short, that she was b}^ no means 

 lookmg at her best. The Duke, too, did not seem so pleased 

 at being left alone with her in this desolate spot as she would 

 have liked to see. Altogether, her chance of reigning at the 

 Castle went back considerably in the betting just at this period. 



Although miserable and shivering, the Duke was as urbane 

 and courteous as ever. Had he been ordered out for execu- 

 tion, his antecedent politeness to the hangman would have 

 been of the most natural and easy description, 



"In broad daylight we should have been able to see the top of 

 the Castle from this point ; but I am a little uncertain which 

 way we ought to go now so as to strike the main road," he 

 said, as he turned up his coat-collar, and drew off the leather 

 gloves he had worn all day, replacing them with the white 

 worsteds which had been carefully tucked into his saddle- 

 girths by Gravity. " I wish I could get you some refresh- 

 ment, my dear Miss Comel}' ; perhaps we can obtain a cup 

 of tea for you at an Inn, before we have got very far upon 

 the road home." 



Miss Comely, with the sweetest smile she could muster 

 under the circumstances, which, it must be confessed, were 

 somewhat depressing, said she didn't care for any tea (feeling 

 all the time that she would cheerfully exchange her most 

 precious possession for a cup), but that it was very good of 

 the Duke to think of it, all the same, etc., etc. And then they 

 turned their horses' heads to the blast, and began to descend 

 the greasy chalk-path, slipping and sliding, on their weary 

 ride home. 



That night, the unusual sound of a bell, about nine o'clock, 



