UPSET. 115 



took place. Her lover slipped off his hack, and 

 after looking carefully over one of the animals, 

 a superb bay mare, was soon seated in the saddle, 

 A little man, of an aspect it seemed impossible 

 to disconnect from the idea of horses, was put 

 up on to the other vacant saddle, and the two 

 took up their station side by side. Meantime 

 the third figure had drawn a handkerchief from 

 his pocket and held the white signal fluttering 

 in the air. Mabel understood the significance 

 of the position ; her heart beat fast as she 

 noted the handkerchief flash downwards, and at 

 the same nioment the two horses bound forward 

 and sweep over the pasture. 



There can be no sort of question as to which 

 is the handsomer of the two horses. The brown, 

 a fairish sort of brute to look at, appears veritably 

 mean by the side of the bay mare, and surely, 

 Mabel thinks, no one could possibly find a fault 

 in the rider ! They near the first fence, a broad 

 Wessex ditch, and fly it together, though Mabel 

 fancies — and subsequent leaps strengthen the 

 notion — that the brown is a little the quicker at 

 his jumps, and seems to get away on the other 

 side a thought more speedily than does the 

 mare. Past the farm and across the grass the 

 two continue their way, Herries leading well 

 over the banked hedge into the plough, and he, 



