THE FAIR HOBSE-BBEAKEB. 2 



breaker, whether a horse-breaker's daughter, or widow, or 

 even a horse-breaker ' on her own,' I know not. Moreover, 

 she advised me to caution you against her, as she belongs to 

 a common lot, and no one about here has anything to do with 

 her or her people." 



Gordon fairly gasped. 



" That youno^ lady whom you please to call ' the pretty 

 horse-breaker ' is Miss Ethel Cuthbert, and my fiancee," he 

 said, with a little emphasis. "And as to no one having 

 anything to do with her, everyone except those Styles 

 people have called on them at Ivy Cottage, and both she 

 and her mother will be at Lady Bertie's ball to-morrow night, 

 where our engagement will be formally announced. Tom 

 Cuthbert would have been there too, but for his broken leg. 

 Horse-breaker, indeed I I wonder what else j^our infernal 

 mischief-making old cats have said ! " 



" My dear old fellow," exclaimed his friend ; " I am awfully 

 sorry, but that is really what Enid Styles told me ; though 

 where she got the horse-breaking tale from I can't think." 



" Never mind, old man," said his friend, " you will excuse 

 me flaring up like that, under the circumstances. But just 

 find out why Ethel has been set down as a horse-breaker, will 



you ? D it, here comes the elder of the two beauties. 



I'm off. I shall only be rude. Come across and let me 

 introduce you to Ethel." 



The introduction was effected, and Maunsell was more 

 than delighted with the dainty little chestnut-haired maiden, 

 whose unaffected and winning ways won all hearts. Ethel 

 Cuthbert was then nineteen years of age, and a little mite 

 of a thing too, with the most shapely of figures, the tiniest 

 of waists, and a pretty little face lit up with the sweetest of 

 smiles and a pair of such laughing broAvn eyes. 



"Common!" ejaculated Maunsell to himself; "she's 

 quality to the tips of her fingers." 



