ween him and the object of
his desire. He had not the least idea that this had cost ten guineas--as
much as his own good self was worth; for it happened to be the first
dahlia seen in that part of the country. That gaudy flower at its first
appearance made such a stir among gardeners that Mr. Swipes gave the
Admiral no peace until he allowed him to order one. And so great was
this gardener's pride in his profession that he would not take an order
for a rooted slip or cutting, from the richest man in the neighbourhood,
for less than half a guinea. Therefore Mr. Swipes was attending to the
plant with the diligence of a wet-nurse, and the weather being dry, he
had soaked it overhead, even before he did that duty to himself.

A man of no teeth can take his nourishment in soup; and nature,
inverting her manifold devices--which she would much rather do than be
beaten--has provided that a horse can chew his solids into liquids, if
there is a drop of juice in their composition, when his artificial life
has failed to supply him with the bucket. This horse, being very dry,
laid his tongue to the water-drops that sparkled on the foliage. He
found them delicious, and he longed for more, and very soon his ready
mind suggested that the wet must have come out of the leaves, and there
must be more there. Proceeding on this argument, he found it quite
correct, and ten guineas' worth of dahlia was gone into his stomach by
the time that Captain Scudamore came courteously to look after him.

Blyth, in equal ignorance of his sumptuous repast, gave him a pat of
approval, and was turning his head towards the stable yard, when he
saw a white figure gliding swiftly through the trees beyond the belt
of shrubbery. Weary and melancholy as he was, and bewildered with the
tumult of disasters, his heart bounded hotly as he perceived that the
figure was that of his Dolly--Dolly, the one love of his life, stealing
forth, probably to mourn alone the loss of her beloved father. As yet
he knew nothing of her share in that sad tale, and therefore felt no
anxiety at first about her purpose. He would not intrude upon her grief;
he had no right to be her comforter; but still she should have some one
to look after her, at that time of night, and with so much excitement
and danger in the air. So the poor horse was again abandoned to his own
resources, and being well used to such treatment, gazed as wistfully and
delicately after the young man Scudamore as that