AND— BROKEN BONES. 141 



tinctlj heard the invitation to breakfast given and ac- 

 cepted, he perfectly understood what was passing in 

 the mind of the Virginian, and merely nodding his 

 head knowingly, said to himself, " Hardly fair, master 

 Virginian, hardly fair ; but in love and war — in love 

 and war. Ha ! ha ! ha ! so it goes and has gone in 

 all ages. Droll enough too ! that I should have fore- 

 seen it all. Droll enough ! but it's sure to come off 

 if he don't break Jardinier's neck, which would be a 

 public benefit to all the world but himself and the 

 peer. Well ; I'm glad I gave Beaufort a hint of what 

 was in the wind. If any one can bring that cub to 

 reason it is he. And as for you, Master Fairfax, since 

 you are on the secret line I won't see any thing, or 

 hear any thing, or think any thing, or do any thing, 

 'till you tell me, and then — I'll be deuced surprised, 

 and — and — help you I suppose any way I can," and 

 therewith he lighted a flat candle, swallowed a tumbler 

 of curagoa and soda, and went to bed heart-easy. 



The next morning, occurrence most unusual, Fair- 

 fax was afoot before his servant brought in his hot 

 water, and was down in the breakfast room ere Matus- 

 chevitz had aroused himself from his first slumbers, 

 left a note apologising for his absence and explaining 

 it, and was in his saddle at the minute. A few mi- 

 nutes spent in accurately learning his way, off he went 

 at " Crazy Jane's" long loping canter, thinking to 

 be above an hour on his way, but time and tide, though 

 they wait for no man, are at times devoured by the 

 eagerness of his will, and so it was that morning with 

 the bold Percy Fairfax. The village clocks were 

 barely striking ten as he cantered through the village 

 of Merton in the vale, and pulled up at the neat lodge 

 gates of Merton Park, Avith its long avenues of leaf- 

 less elms casting long shadows over the trim green- 

 sward, never sere in merry England, and the old Eliz- 



