A YOUNG HUNTING LADY. 29 



near it. " I'm afraid I'm late ? " she says apologetically, 

 and proceeds to greet her friends ; Sultan, who had been 

 sent along at a good pace, blowing hard to get his 

 wind. 



Kitty surveys the scene, and perceives a big covert, 

 bounded on one side by road, on another by farm build- 

 ings, on the side where we have taken up our 

 stand by ploughed fields, and to the south by a wide 

 expanse of park-like common leading across a splendid 

 line of country over which a wiry fox has taken us more 

 than once, and on which side it is more than probable 

 he will break again. Kitty marks the turf. " Did he 

 want a nice gallop, a poor little horse ? " she murmurs 

 caressingly. " Did he want to go very much ? So he 

 shall, then." 



Sultan does not want to go, having been well blown 

 already, but a kick from his mistress's spur sends him 

 along; and when she has gone some three hundred 

 yards the fox bounds out of covert just before her horse's 

 nose, and as speedily bounds in again, his retreat being 

 expedited by a cut aimed at him by Miss Kitty's whip. 

 We look into each other's faces, thoughts too deep for 

 utterance checking expression. Kitty is delighted. 



" I've seen the fox ! " she gleefully cries as she returns 

 to us. " Oh, Sir Henry " — to the Master — " I've seen 

 the fox ; such a beauty ! He was just coming out, and 

 I drove him back again. Oh ! he was such a splendid 

 fellow ! " 



Sir Henry is the pink of politeness, and feels the 



