ear her reply, for she had caught sight of Monsieur
Pirenne at the _manege_ door, and knew that he did not like to be kept
waiting. Mademoiselle Therese always waited to see them mounted,
feeling that thereby she ensured a certain amount of safety on the
ride; moreover, there was a ceremony about the matter that appealed to
her.

Monsieur Pirenne always liked to mount Barbara in the street, and,
before getting on to his own horse, he lingered a while to see that
there were a few people present to witness the departure, for, like
Mademoiselle Therese, he had a great feeling for effect. After seeing
Barbara safely up, he glanced carelessly round, flicked a little dust
from his elegantly-cut coat, twirled his mustachios, and leaped nimbly
into the saddle, without the help of the stirrup.

A flutter of approval went round the bystanders, and Mademoiselle
Therese called out a parting word of warning to Barbara--just to show
she was connected with the couple--before they moved off. Their
progress down the street was as picturesque as Monsieur Pirenne could
make it; for whatever horse he might be on, he succeeded in making it
caracole and curvet, saying at intervals, with a careless smile--

"Not _too_ near, mademoiselle. Manon is not to be trusted."

"I believe he would do the same on a rocking-horse," Barbara had once
written home; but she admired and liked him in spite of these little
affectations--admired him for his skill in horsemanship, and liked him
for his patience as a master.

This ride was one of the nicest she had yet had, as the road, being
bordered for a great part of the way by the links, made capital going.
It was when they had turned their faces homeward, and were just
entering the town, that something very exciting happened. They had
fallen into a walk, and Barbara was watching the people idly, when she
recognised among the passers-by the face of the "solicitor" of Neuilly!
She felt sure it was he, although he was just turning down a side
street; and after the shock of surprise she followed her first impulse,
and, putting her horse at a gallop, dashed after him.

Monsieur Pirenne, who was in the middle of saying something, received a
great fright, and wondered whether she or her horse had gone mad. He
followed her at once, calling after her anxiously, "Pull up,
mademoiselle, pull up! You will be killed!"

The solicitor did not see her, but just before she reached him he
stepped on to a passing