cy,--and the perception of a sound with which he connected carrots.
When she unlatched his door, and said "Hal," he at once went towards his
manger, to show his independence, but when she said: "Oh! very well!" he
turned round and came towards her. His eyes, which were full and of a
soft brilliance, under thick chestnut lashes, explored her all over.
Perceiving that her carrots were not in front, he elongated his neck, let
his nose stray round her waist, and gave her gauntletted hand a nip with
his lips. Not tasting carrot, he withdrew his nose, and snuffled. Then
stepping carefully so as not to tread on her foot, he bunted her gently
with his shoulder, till with a quick manoeuvre he got behind her and
breathed low and long on her neck. Even this did not smell of carrots,
and putting his muzzle over her shoulder against her cheek, he slobbered
a very little. A carrot appeared about the level of her waist, and
hanging his head over, he tried to reach it. Feeling it all firm and
soft under his chin, he snuffled again, and gave her a gentle dig with
his knee. But still unable to reach the carrot, he threw his head up,
withdrew, and pretended not to see her. And suddenly he felt two long
substances round his neck, and something soft against his nose. He
suffered this in silence, laying his ears back. The softness began
puffing on his muzzle. Pricking his ears again, he puffed back a little
harder, with more curiosity, and the softness was withdrawn. He
perceived suddenly that he had a carrot in his mouth.

Harbinger had witnessed this episode, oddly pale, leaning against the
loose-box wall. He spoke, as it came to an end:

"Lady Babs!"

The tone of his voice must have been as strange as it sounded to himself,
for Barbara spun round.

"Yes?"

"How long am I going on like this?"

Neither changing colour nor dropping her eyes, she regarded him with a
faintly inquisitive interest. It was not a cruel look, had not a trace
of mischief, or sex malice, and yet it frightened him by its serene
inscrutability. Impossible to tell what was going on behind it. He took
her hand, bent over it, and said in a low voice:

"You know what I feel; don't be cruel to me!"

She did not pull away her hand; it was as if she had not thought of it.

"I am not a bit cruel."

Looking up, he saw her smiling.

"Then--Babs!"

His face was close to hers, but Barbara did not shrink back. She just
shook her head; and Harbinger f