OXLV THE MARE. 223 



her to Oakley over the ground as it is to-night will 

 pretty well do for her chance to-morrow — to say nothing 

 of the twelve miles back again. The carriage will be 

 home in less than an hour, sir," the man remonstrated, 



" It may be, you don't know, the trains are so horridly 

 unpunctual. Saddle the mare, Jarvis, as quickly as you 

 can — every minute may be of the utmost value ! " As 

 Bertie spoke \he faintest look of regret showed itself on 

 his face for a second : for of course he knew that such a 

 journey would very materially affect, if it did not entirely 

 destroy, the mare's chance. 



Jarvis, who I think had been speculating, very reluc- 

 tantly took down the saddle and bridle from their pegs, but 

 I snatched them from his arms, and, assisted by Bertie, 

 was leading her out of the stable in a very few seconds. 



" Hurry on ! Never mind the mare — good thing she's 

 in condition," said Bertie, who only thought now of his 

 sister. " I'll go and see the girl." 



" I can cut across the fields, can't I, by the cross 

 roads ? " I asked, settling in the saddle. 



"No ! no ! Keep to the highway; it's safer at night. 

 Go on ! " I heard him call as I went at a gallop down 

 the cruelly hard road. 



The ground rang under the mare's feet, and in spite 

 of all my anxiety for Nellie I could not help feeling one 

 pang of regret for Little Lady, whose free, bounding 

 action augured well for what her chances w^ould have 

 been on the morrow — chances which I felt were rapidly 

 dying out; for if this journey didn't lame her nothing 



