THE FAIR HOBSE-BREAKEB. 21 



her mother as the fish was removed from the table. " Have 

 you lamed King of Trumps again ? " 



"No; King of Trumps is all right as far as I know," 

 replied Gertrude pettishly. 



" I can tell you what is the matter with her," vouchsafed 

 her sister. " It's because she got pounded by the pretty 

 horse-breaker to-day. She would not follow that Cuthbert 

 girl over the Elmsley brook, and she hasn't got the taste of it 

 out of her mouth yet ; particularly as Captain Elwyn and the 

 Master and that girl were the only three who got over." 



" King of Trumps refused. You know I told you he did," 

 rejoined the other angrily. " And besides, your nose was put 

 out of joint when you found her riding home with Wilfred 

 Brett, and he declined to come one mile out of his way for 

 refreshment here, preferring instead to go two miles out of 

 his way to escort the horse-breaker home." 



" Why did you not jump the brook, Enid ? " asked Lady 

 Muriel. 



" Oh, I lamed Tim an hour before jumping into a road, 

 or else I'd have taken the young lady's number down." 



" What ! lamed another horse ? " exclaimed her mother. 

 " Why, that's the second this week." 



" Can't be helped, mother. It's the fortune of war." 



" But what will your father say ? He's very short of money 

 just now, he says ; some of his speculations have turned out 

 badly." 



" Oh, he can't expect us to hunt and to keep up our 

 positions in the country without money. He should invest 

 his money in something safer than foreign railways," said Enid. 



" English soap, for instance," suggested Gertrude. 



" Bah I it's that which hangs like a millstone round our 

 necks, and prevents us from getting on," snapped Enid, 

 entirely forgetful of the fact that a crossing-sweeper may be 

 a gentleman, and a nursemaid a lady." 



