f they wanted to amuse themselves
by hearing the opinion of something so totally incapable of forming one.
I wish they knew how the girls long to shake the nonsense out of them.

But Flora did not lose her temper, as I should have done: she held her
own with a quiet dignity which I envied, but could never have imitated.

"Pardon me, Sir. I was about to say the direct contrary--that if my
aunt had allowed it, I for one would rather not have gone."

"Afraid of a fall, eh?" laughed Mr Bagnall. "Well, ladies are not
expected to be as venturesome as men."

Now, why do men always fancy that it is a woman's duty to do what men
expect her? I cannot see it one bit.

"I was not afraid of that, Sir," said Flora.

Father, with whom Flora is a favourite, was listening with a smile. I
believe Aunt Drummond was his pet sister.

"No? Why, what then?" said Mr Bagnall, shaking the pepper over his
turkey pie until I wondered what sort of a throat he would have when he
had finished it.

"I am afraid of hardening my heart, Sir," said Flora, in her calm
decisive way.

"Hardening your heart, girl! What do you mean?" said Father.
"Hardening your heart by riding to hounds!"

"A little puzzling, certainly," said Sir Robert Dacre, who sat opposite.
"We must ask Miss Drummond to explain."

He did not speak in that disagreeable way that Mr Bagnall did; but
Flora flushed up when she found three gentlemen looking at her, and
asking her for an explanation.

"I mean," she answered, "that one hardens one's heart by taking pleasure
in anything which gives another creature pain. But I beg your pardon;
indeed I did not mean to put myself forward."

"No, no, child; we drew you forward," said Father, kindly. He gets over
his tempers in a moment, and he seemed to have quite forgotten the
passage at arms with my Aunt Kezia.

"Still, I do not quite understand," said Sir Robert, not at all
unkindly. "Who is the injured creature in this case, Miss Drummond?"

Flora's colour rose again. "The hare, Sir," she said.

"The hare!" cried Mr Bagnall, leaning back in his chair to laugh.
"Well, Miss Flora, you are quixotic."

"May I quote my father, Sir?" was her reply. "He says that Don Quixote
(supposing him a real person, which I take it he was not) was one of the
noblest men the world ever saw, only the world was not ready for him."

"The world not ready for him? No, I should think not!" laughed Father.
"Not just yet, my little lady-er