course, had not
the way been unexpectedly barred by a fence. The poor old horse must
have been a hunter during some period of his life; he went at the fence
like a greyhound, and cleared it nimbly: but there were a trench and a
rough bank on the farther side, and as he alighted he stumbled,
flinging Honor violently from the saddle. Mercifully, her foot came
clear of the stirrup, and she rolled safely into a bed of nettles,
while Victor, scrambling up again, made off without her over the crest
of the hill.

Honor picked herself out of the nettles as quickly as she could. No
bones were broken, and, except for some painful stings, she was none
the worse for her adventure.

Nevertheless, the situation was awkward. There she was on the open
moor, many miles away from Chessington, and obliged to make her way
home to St. Chad's as best she could. She climbed over the fence, and,
holding up her habit, set out to walk back in the direction in which
she had come.

It seemed slow progress compared with riding, and she began to wonder
how long it would take her to retrace her steps. She had not gone more
than half a mile, however, when she met Mr. Townsend, who had at last
succeeded in reaching her. His relief at finding her alive and unhurt
was almost too great for words. He put her quietly on his own horse,
and led it by the bridle back to the coastguard station, where the rest
of the girls were waiting, very anxious to know what had become of
Honor, and very rejoiced when they saw she was safe.

There was no further riding lesson that day. As Maisie Talbot explained
afterwards to a select company of interested friends: "I'm sure Mr.
Townsend was frightfully angry, but he scarcely said a word. He only
took us straight home at once, in a kind of solemn procession. He had
to walk himself, leading Honor's and Violet's horses, so of course we
went horribly slowly; and he looked so savage that nobody dared to
speak."

"What possessed you, Paddy?" asked Lettice.

"I had an idea of going to see Dermot," confessed Honor. "I thought if
I rode straight up to the Grange, and asked leave from Dr. Winterton,
perhaps he'd let us have half an hour together."

"Well, you are the silliest goose! Why, the Grange is in exactly the
opposite direction! Will you never learn sense?" and Lettice collapsed
with laughter.

"Mr. Townsend is having a long talk with Miss Maitland at this present
moment," announced Ruth Latimer.

"Then I'm glad I