ETIQUETTE IN THE SADDLE. 109 



to pull up and pass a lady, if alone, at a walk, whether 

 she be on foot or on horseback, and though more lati- 

 tude may be allowed a lady, yet she should not gallop 

 up suddenly behind another lady who is alone, as a 

 nervous horse might be so excited as to cause great un- 

 easiness to a timid rider. If you should unfortunately 

 produce such a result, by all means pause and express 

 regret, and if your horse is quiet, offer to ride for a few 

 minutes beside the sufferer — for so she may be called. 

 In passing on the road, the rule is, when meeting, to 

 keep to the right, but when overtaking, to pass to the 

 left, and in like manner, when overtaken, to keep to the 

 right, so as to leave the road free at your left. The 

 only exception to this rule is in the case of led-horses, 

 which, as they are often inclined to kick, should be 

 avoided by passing next to the one ridden. When ap- 

 proaching a lady in a public place a gentleman should 

 always do so on the off or right side. 



It is sometimes rather a nice point to decide when 

 assistance ought to be offered by a gentleman to a lady 

 with whom he is not acquainted, and, if offered, whether 

 it ought to be accepted. The following incident, re- 

 counted by Sir Joseph Arnould in his "Life of Lord 

 Chief-justice Denman," is interesting as showing how 

 such a question was discussed in what may certainly be 

 considered as among the very best society in England. 

 He says that on occasion of a visit which the Lord Chief- 

 justice paid to AValmer Castle, three years before the 



