THE SPOTTED HOESE's STORY. 189 



having been nm, it was time to mount the home- 

 ward-going dog-cart ; for the keen air to some 

 extent stilled the flutter of my over-wrought 

 brain. About one thing I was thoroughly deter- 

 mined — I would let Lucy know the sentiments 

 with which she had inspired me. I had been 

 acquainted with her but a short time, it was 

 true, a very short time, if you will ; but love 

 does not keep count of hours by the reckoning of 

 ordinary mortals, and as I jogged on with Forester 

 for companion on the back seat, I could not 

 refrain from confiding my hopes and fears to 

 him. Under the impression that communion of 

 enjoyment might conduce to an increase of 

 sympathetic feelings on his part, I accepted a 

 cigar from his case — a large, thick, dark-coloured 

 cigar — and did not accidentally drop it into the 

 road until after, what seemed to me, unaccustomed 

 as I was to the use of tobacco, a very consider- 

 able lapse of time. — I scarcely ever remember 

 enjoying anything less than that cigar. 



I had observed by the familiarity of their 

 intercourse that Forester knew Lucy well — • 

 indeed I had almost feared rivalry from him, and 

 so was delighted to learn that, so far as he knew, 

 her heart was disengaged. 



There was a large party assembled at the 

 Grange that evening, but nothing occurred of 



