amiable and communicative. "When shall you be ready to start?"
he asked, following Katherine from the breakfast-table.

"To start where?" she asked.

"What! have you forgotten our plans of last night?" was his
counter-question. "I am to give you your first lesson in driving this
morning. I only wait your orders before going to see the ponies put in.
We had better take advantage of the fine morning."

"Ay, that's right, De Burgh; make hay while the sun shines," said
Ormonde, with his usual tact and jocularity. "But it would be better to
have tried a quieter pair than Dick and Dandie."

"I think you may trust Miss Liddell to me," returned De Burgh,
impatiently. "Well, when shall I bring round the trap?"

"Whenever you like. I am afraid you have set yourself a tiresome task."

De Burgh laughed. "If you prove careless or disobedient, why, I'll not
repeat the dose. In half an hour, then, I'll have the carriage at the
door."

That half-hour was spent by Katherine in explaining to Cis and Charlie
that she could not go out with them that day, for the morning was
promised to De Burgh, and after luncheon she had undertaken to try over
the song which had pleased her with Lady Alice, who was to leave the
next day. The little fellows thought themselves very ill-used. But Miss
Richards, who had greatly prized her deliverance from long muddy rambles
since Katherine's advent, promised to take them to fish in a stream
which ran between the Castleford and Melford properties.

"Do you suppose I shall dare to touch the reins of these terrible
creatures?" said Katherine when De Burgh dashed up to the door, and held
the spirited, impatient animals steady with some difficulty.

"We'll get rid of some of the steam first, and you will get accustomed
to their playfulness," he returned. "Here, Ormonde, haven't you a rug
for Miss Liddell? It may come on to rain."

"Yes; here you are;" and Colonel Ormonde, who was examining the
turn-out, tucked up his fair guest carefully, and warned them to be back
in good time, as he wanted De Burgh to ride over with him to see some
horses which were for sale a mile or two at the other side of Monckton.

"What a frightful pace;" said Katherine, after they had whirled out of
the gates, yet feeling comforted by De Burgh's evident mastery of the
ponies.

"You are not frightened? Don't you think I can manage them?"

"I am not comfortable, because I am not accustomed to horses and furious
driving."

"