ted. "Thought I'd ride over and pay you a call. The ladies
will not be starting on their return journey for another couple of
hours. So I borrowed a horse."

"Evidently."

"There's something wrong with him, I doubt." Mr. Silk was disagreeably
red and moist.

"I dare say he is not used to being ridden mainly--or was it wholly?--on
the curb."

He grinned. "Well, and I'm not used to riding, and that's a fact.
But"--he leered the compliment--"there are few dangers I would not
brave for a glance from Miss Josselin."

"You flatter me, sir. But I believe you braved a worse, yesterday,
without claiming that reward."

"Ah! You mean that Sir Oliver will be angry when he gets wind of our
little expedition? The ladies persuaded me--Adam's old excuse; I can
deny nothing to the sex. . . . But what have we yonder? A race?"

"It would appear so."

"A very hollow one, if I may criticise. That youngster moves like a
deer. . . . And what is his reward to be?--another glance of these
bright eyes? Ah, Miss Josselin, you make fools--and heroes--of us all!"

Ruth turned from him to applaud young Lemuel, who came darting into the
enclosure.

"See old Jonathan!" panted the boy, looking back and laughing.
"That's how they ran at Louisbourg. . . . Miss Josselin, you should have
made it a mile and I'd have shown you some broken-winded ones."
He laughed again and turned in apology to Mr. Silk. "I'll take your
horse to stable, sir, if you'll let me catch my breath."

The others came straggling up, a little abashed at sight of the
stranger, but not surprised out of their good manners.

"A clergyman?" said Jonathan. "My father will be home before sundown,
sir. He will be proud if you can stay and have dinner with us."

Mr. Silk explained that he had ridden over from Natchett to call on Miss
Josselin and had but an hour to spare. They insisted, however, that he
must eat before leaving, and they led away his horse to bait, leaving
him and Ruth together.

"Will you come into the house?" she asked.

"With your leave we can talk better here. . . . So you guessed that I
made one of the party? Miss Vyell told me."

"It was not difficult to guess."

"And you admired my courage?"

Ruth's eyebrows went up to a fine arch. "When you were careful to keep
in hiding?"

"From motives of delicacy, believe me. It occurred to me that Lady
Caroline might--er--speak her mind, and I had no wish to be distressed
by it, or to distr