ous omission on your part, Captain
Conyers; remember we have not yet been introduced to the hero of the
hour, and you know what hero-worshippers our sex are."

"That's an omission easily rectified, Miss Chipchase, for here come the
two antagonists. And as he spoke Jim and his conqueror came up to the
marquee.

"Ah, Miss Sylla," exclaimed the dragoon gaily, "I am afraid I have
disappointed all Todborough; I did my level best, but it was of no use.
Montague here is just a little too good for me. Allow me to introduce
him to you."

"You must not expect very warm congratulations from us Todborough
people, Mr. Montague. As you may easily suppose, both our money and
our sympathies were with Captain Bloxam."

"That would naturally be the case," replied the young officer; "and I
am myself indebted to Bloxam's putting in an appearance for a victory
worth winning. I should have beaten my other opponents without much
difficulty."

"Yes, indeed," replied Sylla, "we fell into what you military men call
the weakness of underrating our opponent. We did not half believe in
your prowess, Mr. Montague."

"I can only hope that I have convinced you now," he rejoined, smiling;
"and that another time you will range yourself amongst my supporters."

"Oh, I don't know," replied the young lady, with a slight shrug of her
shoulders. "We are obstinate in our convictions at Todborough, are we
not, Lady Mary? We still think we can beat Rockcliffe Camp over a
quarter of a mile."

Those around her were listening with no little interest to Sylla
Chipchase's _badinage_. Pansey Cottrell, who knew the girl better than
the others, felt pretty sure, from the mischief dancing in her eyes,
that this was not mere idle talk, and awaited the disclosure of her
design with considerable curiosity; while Lady Mary, although putting
Sylla down as the most audacious little piece of sauciness she had ever
come across, showed no little admiration for the stanchness with which
the girl stood to her guns in thus upholding their defeated champion.

"No doubt, Miss Chipchase," replied Montague, "a race is sometimes
reversed when run over again, but you must excuse my clinging to the
conviction that what I have once done I can also do again."

"Ah, well," replied the young lady, with an air of mock resignation; "I
told you Todborough fell into the error of underrating the enemy, and
Todborough has paid the penalty of defeat. Had we deemed you so swift