A RUSTIC CICERONE. 171 



" ' Well, not to say altogether,' he admitted reluc- 

 tantly ; ' she's had the harness on her about a dozen 

 times, and she never did no harm — beyond the day 

 she ran away at Dan Clancy's funeral, and broke 

 up a couple of cars ; and 'twas Finnigan himself was 

 in fault, he'd had a drop. Shure, she's going now 

 like a lady's pony ! JNIaybe you'd like to take the 

 reins in your hands yourself, miss, and just feel her 

 mouth ? ' 



" But the girl, casting her eyes over the long, raking 

 animal in front of her, and observing her starting eyes, 

 quivering ears, and tightly tucked-in tail, had no 

 difficulty in resisting Larry's alluring offer. Little 

 did she know the vast honour she was rejecting. 

 Larry (like most Irishmen) was not insensible to a 

 pretty face, and rating this young lady's courage 

 beyond its deserts — owing to her equanimity during 

 their recent gallop, and the tenacity of her hold 

 upon the jaunting-car — paid her the greatest compli- 

 ment in his power when he offered her the office of 

 jehu. Then she, having politely but firmly declined 

 the reins, breathed an inward wish that the animal 

 who had behaved so mischievously at Dan Clancy's 

 funeral, would continue her present sober frame of 

 mind until she was deposited at the gates of 

 Crowmore. 



" And now Larry began to play the cicerone, 

 and commenced to point out various objects of 

 interest, with the end of his whip and the zest of a 

 native. 



" ' That's Nancy's Cover,' he said, indicating a 

 patch of gorse. ' There does be a brace of foxes 

 in it every season ; that ditch beyond, running along 

 in company with the cover as far as your eye will 



