THE FAIR HORSE-BREAKER. 29 



always kept me supplied with horses. He says I do them 

 good, and that he will fetch them when he wants them. I 

 have been lucky enough to sell three for him since I have 

 been here, and having made a good price of them, he wrote 

 the other day to say I was to accept this mare, Molly Darling, 

 as my commission. Is he not a dear old man ? " she said 

 with sparkling eyes. 



" Then that's how it is that people call you ' the pretty 

 horse-breaker,' " exclaimed Frank. 



" Miss Styles has just informed me," said Maunsell, " that 

 a friend of hers from Tunbridge Wells knows all about you. 

 She said that Mrs. Cuthbert is no more a widow than she is 

 (' or ever will be ' growled Frank), that her husband is a 

 horse-dealer at Tunbridge Wells, and that you have merely 

 come up here to sell horses." 



Ethel laughed. " Poor things," she said, " they have done 

 their best to hound us out of the place, and as that has 

 failed they now endeavour to terminate my existence in the 

 hunting field. But I have generally been better mounted 

 than they have, and have so far managed to keep clear of 

 them." 



" We shall have a gallop from here, Lady Beauchamp, as 

 sure as sure can be," said Maunsell, " so look out for a good 

 start." 



The fox was away in a moment, and hounds got a good 

 start with him. Ethel was lying a bit to the right as they 

 approached a formidable bullfinch, some high rails being the 

 only practicable place just where they were, and Captain 

 Gordon called out to her to let him have a go at it first. His 

 horse cleared the rails beautifully, and then he turned in his 

 saddle to see how Molly Darling did it. He saw Ethel 

 steadying her mare a bit as she approached the fence, and 

 behind her he could distinguish two other habits. Suddenly 

 one rushed up beside the chestnut mare just as she was 



