as nearly, but not quite, the truth) that she
loved the sweet pets of horses better than anything on earth. Where
Cecil went, Laura made a point of going too, to keep her enemy in sight,
I suppose; though Cecil, liking a fast walk on the frosty roads, a game
of battledore and shuttlecock with Blanche (when we were out of the
house), or anything, in short, better than working with her feet on the
fender, and the Caldecott inanities or Screechington scandals in her
ear, often led Laura many an unwelcome dance, and brought that luckless
young lady to try at things which did not sit well upon her as they did
upon the St. Aubyn, who had a knack of doing, and doing charmingly, a
thousand things no other woman could have attempted. So, as Vivian and
I, and some of the other men, stood in the stable-doors, smoking, and
talking over the studs accommodated in the spacious stalls, a strong
party of four young ladies came across the yard.

"I'm come to look at Qui Vive; will you show him to me?" said Cecil,
softly. Her gentle, childlike way was the most telling of all her
changing moods, but I must do her the justice to say that it was
perfectly natural, she was no actress.

"With great pleasure," said Syd, very courteously, if not
over-cordially; and to Qui Vive's stall Cecil went, alone in her glory,
for Laura was infinitely too terrified at the sight of the bay's strong
black hind legs to risk a kick from them, even to follow Syd. Helena
Vivian stayed with her, and Blanche came with me to visit my hunters.

Cecil is a tolerable judge of a horse; she praised Qui Vive's lean head,
full eye, and silky coat with discrimination, and Qui Vive, though not
the best-tempered of thorough-breds, let her pat his smooth sides and
kiss his strong neck without any hostile demonstration.

Vivian watched her as if she were a spoilt child who bewitched him, but
whom he knew to be naughty; he could not resist the fascination of her
ways, but he never altered his calm, courteous tone to her--the tone
Cecil longed to hear change, were it even into invectives against her,
to testify some deeper interest.

"Now show me the mount you will give me when the frost breaks up and we
take out the hounds," said Cecil, with a farewell caress of Qui Vive.

"You shall have the grey four-year-old; Billiard-ball, and he will suit
you exactly, for he is as light as a bird, checks at nothing, and will
take you safe over the stiffest bullfinch. I know you may tr