he Dike, and scorning to halt at petty
obstacles, with a hundred golden hurdles bridged it wherever any
opening was.

Under this luminous span, or through it where the crossing gullies ran,
Mary Anerley rode at leisure, allowing her pony to choose his pace. That
privilege he had long secured, in right of age, and wisdom, and
remarkable force of character. Considering his time of life, he looked
well and sleek, and almost sprightly; and so, without any reservation,
did his gentle and graceful rider. The maiden looked well in a place
like that, as indeed in almost any place; but now she especially set off
the color of things, and was set off by them. For instance, how could
the silver of the dew-cloud, and golden weft of sunrise, playing through
the dapples of a partly wooded glen, do better (in the matter of
variety) than frame a pretty moving figure in a pink checked frock, with
a skirt of russet murrey, and a bright brown hat? Not that the hat
itself was bright, even under the kiss of sunshine, simply having seen
already too much of the sun, but rather that its early lustre seemed to
be revived by a sense of the happy position it was in; the clustering
hair and the bright eyes beneath it answering the sunny dance of life
and light. Many a handsomer race, no doubt, more perfect, grand and
lofty, received--at least if it was out of bed--the greeting of that
morning sun; but scarcely any prettier one, or kinder, or more pleasant,
so gentle without being weak, so good-tempered without looking void of
all temper at all.

Suddenly the beauty of the time and place was broken by sharp, angry
sound. Bang! bang! came the roar of muskets fired from the shore at the
mouth of the Dike, and echoing up the winding glen. At the first report
the girl, though startled, was not greatly frightened; for the sound was
common enough in the week when those most gallant volunteers entitled
the "Yorkshire Invincibles" came down for their annual practice of
skilled gunnery against the French. Their habit was to bring down a red
cock, and tether him against a chalky cliff, and then vie with one
another in shooting at him. The same cock had tested their skill for
three summers, but failed hitherto to attest it, preferring to return in
a hamper to his hens, with a story of moving adventures.

Mary had watched those Invincibles sometimes from a respectful distance,
and therefore felt sure (when she began to think) that she had not them
to thank f