UPSET. 131 



they look spleudid is certainly justified ; but 

 poor Mabel tliiuks of tbe little brown horse, and 

 dreads the upshot. The mare, however, thanks 

 to Sir Thomas's tip, has advanced in favouritism ; 

 and an ingenuous youth, standing near the 

 baronet on the regimental drag, exclaims in 

 admiration that Heartsease can't be beat, and 

 warmly thanks Aston for the hint ; whereat the 

 latter smiles delightedly. Some one, he thinks, 

 is singeing his fingers, and they will soon be 

 burnt ; for Eed Eover is wonderfully fit and 

 good-looking, though pubHcly Sir Thomas 

 declares the horse to be "light," "shelly," 

 " under-sized," " over-done," and full of faults. 



Mabel watches the procession cantering to 

 the starting-post, where the Hunt secretary is 

 ready with the flag, and at the first attempt the 

 eleven are despatched upon the journey fraught 

 with such momentous issues. First away is 

 Purleigh, not because he wants to make the 

 running, but because Playfellow is smitten with 

 a desire to gallop ; and how the pair of them led 

 the way over the first fence, a hedge and ditch, 

 one of the pair at any rate never understood. 

 Over they got, Purleigh wondering whether he 

 had taken too much champagne or whether he 

 had not taken enough ; and so the dark blue 

 jacket bobbed over the plough. Post Horn led 



