; but the ladies followed the lead of Lady
Somers, and so I raked in their shekels. They all ponied up promptly,
though, and paid their outs, like true-born English ladies."

"I do not think," said Miss Newville, "that I should like to lose or
win money in that way."

"Why, Miss Newville, once get into it, and you would say it is the
most delightful sport in the world. If you think, however, that you
would not like to participate in such pleasures, we have the fox hunt,
which is the most charming and innocent diversion imaginable. You
don't bet any money in that, but have a rollicking good time riding
over the country, ladies and gentlemen--leaping hedges and ditches,
following the hounds, running Reynard to cover, and having a lunch at
the close of the hunt."

"Foxes are plentiful in this country, but we do not run them down with
horses," Miss Newville replied.

"Do ladies ride horseback in the Colonies?"

"Oh, yes. Were you to attend meeting in the country on the Sabbath,
you would see many ladies riding up to the horse-block, wives on
pillions behind their husbands. Do the ladies who hunt foxes attend
meeting on the Sabbath, my lord?"

"Ha, ha! I suspect what you call going to meeting, with us is going to
church. Oh, we are very devout. On Sunday we all go to church, kneel
on our hassocks, and confess we are miserable sinners, recite the
creed, pray for the king, queen, Prince of Wales, the army and navy.
We do our full duty as Christians, and are loyal to the church, as
well as to his majesty. My rector, at Halford, is a very good man. To
be sure the living isn't much, but he reads the prayers well, preaches
a nice little sermon of ten minutes or so, for he knows I don't care
to be bored by the hour. He enjoys a fox hunt, says grace at dinner,
and makes a point of having a little game of cards with me Saturday
evening. He doesn't know much about cards, so I usually let him win a
few shillings, knowing the poor fellow will feel better Sunday morning
while reading the service if he knows he has a half-crown in his
pocket, instead of being out that much. I know how it is, Miss
Newville. I can be more devout and comfortable on Sunday after winning
instead of losing five or ten thousand at Almack's."

"Perhaps, my lord, you feel you are not quite such a miserable sinner
as you might be after all."

"You have stated it correctly, Miss Newville," his lordship replied,
not discerning the quiet sarcasm. "Of course