the drivers and asked him if he knew of any horses to be hired
in the town.

She had feared her French might not be equal to the explanation, and
was very glad when he understood, and still more pleased to hear that
there was an excellent _manege_,[1] which many people visited. After
inquiring the name of the street, she returned to her shop window,
longing for mademoiselle to come out. Her patience was nearly
exhausted when that lady finally appeared, having bought nothing.

"I tried on a great many boots and some shoes," she explained, "and did
not care for any. Indeed, I really did not need new ones; but I have
seen samples of much of their stock."

In the midst of the intense satisfaction of this performance, the girl
brought her news of a riding-school, which evidently was not very
welcome to her companion. She had, as a matter of fact, known of the
existence of such a place, but did not approve of "equestrian exercise
for women "; moreover, she had pictured so much exertion to herself in
connection with the idea of riding lessons, that she had been very
undesirous of Barbara's beginning them, and had, therefore, not
encouraged the idea. But the secret of the school being out, she
resolved to make the best of it, and agreed to go round at once and see
the place.

They had little difficulty in finding it, and were ushered into an
office, where a very immaculate Frenchman received them, and inquired
how he could serve them. On hearing their errand he smiled still more
pleasantly, and in a few minutes everything was settled. Barbara was
to come over twice a week and have lessons, and, if she cared, might
begin that afternoon. The only drawback was that she had no skirt,
which, he assured her with a sweeping bow, he could easily remedy, for
he had an almost new one on the premises, and would think it an honour
to lend it to her.

He was politeness itself, and seemed not in the least damped by
Mademoiselle Therese's evident gloom. He conducted her up to the
gallery at one end of the school, and explained that she could watch
every movement from that vantage-point.

"It will be almost as good as having a lesson yourself, madame," he
said politely, twirling his fierce gray mustachios.

At the other end of the school was a large looking-glass, which he told
Barbara was to enable the pupils to observe their deportment; but she
noticed that he always stood in the middle of the ring, where he
watched his ow