142 ONLY THE MARE 



" It may be, you don't know, the trains are so 

 horridly unpunctnah Saddle the mare, Jarvis, as 

 quickly as you can — every minute may be of the 

 utmost value ! " As Bertie spoke the faintest look 

 of regret showed itself on his face for a second ; for 

 of course he knew that such a journey would very 

 materially affect, if it did not entirely destroy, the 

 mare's chance. 



Jarvis, who I think had been speculating, very 

 reluctantly took down the saddle and bridle from 

 their pegs, but I snatched them from his arms, and 

 assisted by Bertie, was leading her out of the stable 

 in a very few seconds. 



" Hurry on ! Never mind the mare — good 

 thing she's in condition," said Bertie, who only 

 thought now of his sister. " I'll go and see the girl." 



" I can cut across the fields, can't I, by the cross 

 roads ? " I asked, settling in the saddle. 



" No ! no ! Keep to the highway ; it's safer at 

 night. Go on ! " I heard him call as I went at a 

 gallop down the cruelly hard road. 



The ground rang under the mare's feet, and in 

 spite of all my anxiety for Nellie I could not help 

 feeling one pang of regret for Little Lady, whose 

 free, bounding action, aucjured well for what her 

 chances would have been on the morrow — chances 

 which I felt were rapidly dying out ; for if this 



