, and when I am riding I can't give
my mind to them. It would be doing me knight service if you keep your
eyes fixed upon them, and remember them every minute of the day, and
tell me directly I drop one. They have had such hairbreadth escapes,
haven't they, Unity?' she continued to the parlour-maid who was standing
at the door.

'Yes, miss, that they have!' said Unity with round-eyed commiseration.

'Once 'twas in the lane that I found one of them,' pursued Elfride
reflectively.

'And then 'twas by the gate into Eighteen Acres,' Unity chimed in.

'And then 'twas on the carpet in my own room,' rejoined Elfride merrily.

'And then 'twas dangling on the embroidery of your petticoat, miss; and
then 'twas down your back, miss, wasn't it? And oh, what a way you was
in, miss, wasn't you? my! until you found it!'

Stephen took Elfride's slight foot upon his hand: 'One, two, three, and
up!' she said.

Unfortunately not so. He staggered and lifted, and the horse edged
round; and Elfride was ultimately deposited upon the ground rather more
forcibly than was pleasant. Smith looked all contrition.

'Never mind,' said the vicar encouragingly; 'try again! 'Tis a little
accomplishment that requires some practice, although it looks so easy.
Stand closer to the horse's head, Mr. Smith.'

'Indeed, I shan't let him try again,' said she with a microscopic look
of indignation. 'Worm, come here, and help me to mount.' Worm stepped
forward, and she was in the saddle in a trice.

Then they moved on, going for some distance in silence, the hot air of
the valley being occasionally brushed from their faces by a cool breeze,
which wound its way along ravines leading up from the sea.

'I suppose,' said Stephen, 'that a man who can neither sit in a saddle
himself nor help another person into one seems a useless incumbrance;
but, Miss Swancourt, I'll learn to do it all for your sake; I will,
indeed.'

'What is so unusual in you,' she said, in a didactic tone justifiable in
a horsewoman's address to a benighted walker, 'is that your knowledge of
certain things should be combined with your ignorance of certain other
things.'

Stephen lifted his eyes earnestly to hers.

'You know,' he said, 'it is simply because there are so many other
things to be learnt in this wide world that I didn't trouble about that
particular bit of knowledge. I thought it would be useless to me; but
I don't think so now. I will learn riding, and all connected wi