130 TALES OF PINK AND SILK. 



use than an old woman to-day. Are you ill, or what's the 

 matter with you ? ' 



" * I'm all right, sir,' he replied ; ' I'm very sorry, sir. 

 I'm a bit worried, that's all.' 



" ' Then don't bring your private worries into the hunting 

 field,' I said. 'When you go out hunting, 3'OU want to 

 worry about nothing but hunting.' 



" Well, when we got into the feeding house, he said, 

 * You gave me leave a month ago to speak to your daughter, 

 sir, and I did it, and she refused me. I asked her again 

 last night ; she laughed in my face, and said she thought 

 she could do a little better than a hunt-servant. I told 

 her that I had spoken for the last time, and she replied 

 that it was a good job, as she was getting tired of being 

 worried by a lot of clodhoppers and rough-riders. I then 

 asked her if she was going to marry Fred Harwood, and 

 she said indeed no, she was going to marry a gentleman 

 of position. Had he spoken to you ? I then asked, and she 

 replied that he was going to take her up to London 

 and marry her there, and then send word down as a 

 pleasant surprise to you and Mrs. Brown. I begged her 

 to be careful what she did; that if the gentleman meant 

 to marry her he could have come to you in a straight- 

 forward and honest manner and asked 3^our consent, sir. 

 She told me to mind my own business, as the gentleman 

 was keeping it secret, as his own friends would object. 

 Xow, sir, that's what upset me to-day. I can take my 

 refusal like a man ; but you have been a good master and 

 a good friend to me ; I love your daughter, and if I can't 

 marry her myself, I'll see that no one harms her if I can 

 help it. Now, sir, is Bess safe in the house ? I ask 

 because I saw a carriage waiting at the end of the lane 

 just now, but it drove off before I could get to it, so I 

 ran across the paddock, and just got in time to see it 



