Jinthony Trollope 



he got himself out of the crowd, disgusted with the Httleness 

 of mankind. Lord Rufford had been riding a very big 

 chestnut horse, and had watched the anxious struggles of 

 Kate Masters to hold her place. Kate, though fifteen, and 

 quite up to that age in intelligence and impudence, was 

 small and looked almost a child. ' That 's a nice pony of 

 yours, my dear,' said the lord. Kate, who didn't quite 

 like being called * my dear,' but who knew that a lord has 

 privileges, said that it was a very good pony. ' Suppose we 

 change,' said his lordship. * Could you ride my horse ? ' 

 * He 's very big,' said Kate. ' You 'd look like a tom-tit 

 on a haystack,' said his lordship. ' And if you got on 

 my pony, you 'd look like a haystack on a tom-tit,' said 

 Kate. Then it was felt that Kate Masters had had the 

 best of that little encounter. ' Yes ; — I got one there,' 

 said Lord Rufford, while his friends were laughing at 

 him. 



At length Captain Glomax was seen in the road and 

 Tony was with him at once, whispering in his ear that the 

 hounds if allowed to go on would certainly run into Dills- 

 borough Wood. ' D the hounds,' muttered the Captain ; 



but he knew too well what he was about to face so terrible 

 a danger. ' They 're going home,' he said as soon as he had 

 joined Lord Rufford and the crowd. 



' Going home ! ' exclaimed a pink-coated young rider of 

 a hired horse which had been going well with him ; and as 

 he said so he looked at his watch. 



* Unless you particularly wish me to take the hounds to 



277 



