mongst
his feed, and his senses struggled between the lingering flavour of
that delicacy,--and the perception of a sound with which he connected
carrots. When she unlatched his door, and said "Hal," he at once went
towards his manger, to show his independence, but when she said: "Oh!
very well!" he turned round and came towards her. His eyes, which were
full and of a soft brilliance, under thick chestnut lashes, explored her
all over. Perceiving that her carrots were not in front, he elongated
his neck, let his nose stray round her waist, and gave her gauntletted
hand a nip with his lips. Not tasting carrot, he withdrew his nose, and
snuffled. Then stepping carefully so as not to tread on her foot, he
bunted her gently with his shoulder, till with a quick manoeuvre he
got behind her and breathed low and long on her neck. Even this did not
smell of carrots, and putting his muzzle over her shoulder against her
cheek, he slobbered a very little. A carrot appeared about the level of
her waist, and hanging his head over, he tried to reach it. Feeling
it all firm and soft under his chin, he snuffled again, and gave her a
gentle dig with his knee. But still unable to reach the carrot, he threw
his head up, withdrew, and pretended not to see her. And suddenly he
felt two long substances round his neck, and something soft against his
nose. He suffered this in silence, laying his ears back. The softness
began puffing on his muzzle. Pricking his ears again, he puffed back a
little harder, with more curiosity, and the softness was withdrawn. He
perceived suddenly that he had a carrot in his mouth.

Harbinger had witnessed this episode, oddly pale, leaning against the
loose-box wall. He spoke, as it came to an end:

"Lady Babs!"

The tone of his voice must have been as strange as it sounded to
himself, for Barbara spun round.

"Yes?"

"How long am I going on like this?"

Neither changing colour nor dropping her eyes, she regarded him with a
faintly inquisitive interest. It was not a cruel look, had not a trace
of mischief, or sex malice, and yet it frightened him by its serene
inscrutability. Impossible to tell what was going on behind it. He took
her hand, bent over it, and said in a low voice:

"You know what I feel; don't be cruel to me!"

She did not pull away her hand; it was as if she had not thought of it.

"I am not a bit cruel."

Looking up, he saw her smiling.

"Then--Babs!"

His face was close to hers, but