orm was brewing.

When I left Dawson, I hurriedly found John and told him we were preparing
to leave the inn, and that we would expect him to overtake us on the road
to Rowsley.

I returned to the ladies in the parlor and found them standing near the
window. Stanley had tried to kiss Dorothy, and she had slapped his face.
Fortunately he had taken the blow good-humoredly, and was pouring into her
unwilling ear a fusillade of boorish compliments when. I entered the
parlor.

I said, "The coach is ready."

The ladies moved toward the door. "I am going to ride with you, my
beauty," said his Lordship.

"That you shall not do," retorted Dorothy, with blazing eyes.

"That I will do," he answered. "The roads are free to all, and you cannot
keep me from following you."

Dorothy was aware of her predicament, and I too saw it, but could find no
way out of it. I was troubled a moment; but my fear was needless, for
Dorothy was equal to the occasion.

"We should like your company, Cousin Stanley," replied Dorothy, without a
trace of anger in her manner, "but we cannot let you ride with us in the
face of the storm that is brewing."

"We won't mind the storm, will we, Tod? We are going with our cousin."

"If you insist upon being so kind to us," said Dorothy, "you may come. But
I have changed my mind about dinner. I am very hungry, and we accept your
invitation."

"Now you are coming around nicely," said Lord James, joyfully. "We like
that, don't we, Tod?"

Tod had been silent under all circumstances.

Dorothy continued: "Madge and I will drive in the coach to one or two of
the shops, and we shall return in one hour. Meantime, Cousin Stanley, we
wish you to have a fine dinner prepared for us, and we promise to do ample
justice to the fare."

"She'll never come back," said silent Tod, without moving a muscle.

"How about it, cousin?" asked Stanley. "Tod says you'll never come back;
he means that you are trying to give us the slip."

"Never fear, Cousin Stanley," she returned, "I am too eager for dinner
not to come back. If you fail to have a well-loaded table for me, I shall
never speak to you again."

We then went to the coach, and as the ladies entered it Dorothy said aloud
to Dawson:--

"Drive to Conn's shop."

I heard Tod say to his worthy master:--

"She's a slippin' ye."

"You're a fool, Tod. Don't you see she wants me more than she wants the
dinner, and she's hungry, too."

"Don't see," retorted his l