30 TALES OF PINK AND SILK. 



taking off, the girl uttered a cry as they cannoned in the air, 

 both horses blundered badly, and the next thing Captain 

 Gordon was conscious of was that the younger Miss Styles 

 was swearing at Ethel for cutting in front of her, while the 

 elder of those two estimable sisters was apparently jumping 

 right on to the chestnut mare and her rider. 



" Confound you ! " roared he. " You did that on purpose. 

 Do you want to kill her!" 



By the greatest of luck the chestnut mare scrambled out 

 of the way just as the fore legs of Miss Styles' horse grazed 

 her quarters ; then Captain Gordon pulled up alongside the 

 two sisters, and gave them, as he said, " such a piece of my 

 mind as fairly astonished them," and those two ladies kept well 

 clear of the " pretty horse-breaker " and her champion for the 

 rest of the day. 



The day following Countess Bertie's ball, the Misses Styles 

 were driving their pony carriage through Hazleford, when 

 they caught sight of a gentleman of their acquaintance who 

 they knew was at the ball the night before, so they thought 

 they would glean a little information from him concerning it. 



" Good morning, Mr. Bower," said Gertrude. " You look 

 very fresh this morning, considering you were dancing all 

 night." 



" Good morning, ladies," he replied, reining his hack 

 alongside of the carriage. " How is it that the ball was not 

 graced with your presence last night ? " 



Mr. Bower knew that they had been moving Heaven and 

 earth to get invitations, but wanted to hear the excuse they 

 would make. 



" We were both so done up after our day with the North 

 Blankshire," said Enid, " and mamma was so poorly that we 

 decided not to go. I hear that it was a very poor affair, 

 after all." 



" Whoever told you that ? " exclaimed Mr. Bower. " It 



