TEE OLD EUNTSMAN'S STORY. 135 



of Miss Amy (we alwcays called her Miss Amy, even after 

 her marriage) ; at least wait till to-morrow.' 



" And glad I am that that poor girl died without knowing 

 her husband's true character. What Tom Day meant to do 

 we shall never know, but his revenge was complete and 

 terrible, and it was made all the more horrible in that it in- 

 volved an innocent person. 



" We met that day at Dawtry Hall, and Tom soon con- 

 trived to get a word with Mr. Onslow, when most of the people 

 were in at breakfast. He asked my leave to have a few words 

 apart with the man, and they rode a little distance away. 

 AYhat they said to each other no one knows, but on their 

 return I heard Tom use the words ' Coward ! cur ! ' and his 

 last words were : ' Then follow me to-day if you dare ! ' 



" We found in the gorse at once, and Tom, who viewed 

 him break, got away nicely on the right of the pack, holloaing 

 cheerfully to Mr. Onslow to ' Come on, sir ! ' 



" Onslow looked very ugly, but he crammed on in pursuit. 

 He never looked after his wife now, but Miss Amy was always 

 well mounted, and generally took a line of her own. How- 

 ever, on that day she was riding a rather sticky jumper ; he 

 was a good hunter, but rather given to refusing a big place 

 unless another horse gave him a lead, so Miss Amy generally 

 followed close behind her husband when riding him. There 

 was a rare scent, sir, and hounds fairly raced that day, and it 

 was as much as I could do to keep with them ; but Tom Day 

 and Mr. and Mrs. Onslow were a long way first. You know 

 the line, sir. Dawtry Cover on the right hand, Templeton 

 village on the left ; then we bent slightly to the left for Fox- 

 holes, but the earths in the spinney were closed and hounds 

 never paused. On up the slope we went, hounds getting 

 still further in front, past the little church— on our right — 

 jumped the flight of rails running from the Round covert, 

 crossed the next two fields, and then I turned to the left 



