t will do
as well."

"Quite as well, if you can spare him; send him into the kitchen while I
write the note. Adieu, lad, and see that you don't break Gildart's
neck. Remember that he is not much accustomed to horses."

"No fear of him," said Kenneth, looking back with a laugh as he reached
the door, "he is well used to riding out hard gales, and that is more
arduous work than steeple-chasing." When Dan Horsey was told to go to
the kitchen and await further orders, he received the command with a
cheerful smile, and, attaching the bridle of his horse to a post,
proceeded to obey it.

The kitchen of Bingley Hall was the abode of two females who severally
owned a distinct and dissimilar character, both mental and physical.
The first female--first in most senses of the word--was Bounder the
cook, who was fat, as cooks ought to be in order to prove that their
productions agree with them; and self-opinionated, as cooks generally
are, in order, no doubt, to prove that they know their business.

The second female was Susan Barepoles, a slim, graceful housemaid,
apparently modest, (cook did not even pretend to that virtue), and
wonderfully sharp-eyed. Both females were good-looking and young, and
both were desperately in love with Daniel Horsey. Each knew the fact,
and so did Dan. Each was mortally jealous of the other, and Dan was
dreadfully perplexed in consequence.

Not that he was uncertain as to which of the two he preferred, for
Susan's image was "engruven," as he expressed it, deeply on his heart,
to the exclusion of all other images, but he found that the jealousy of
the two interfered somewhat with the course of true love, causing it to
run in its proverbially rough channel.

"It's a fine mornin', my darlints," said Dan, as he entered the kitchen
with a swagger, and laid his hat and riding-whip on the dresser, at the
same time seating himself on the edge of a small table that stood near
the window. This seat he preferred to a chair, partly because it
enabled him to turn his back to the light, and partly because it
afforded him an opportunity of swinging his legs gently with an easy
motion that was agreeable, and, at the same time, in his opinion,
graceful.

"None o' yer imperance," said cook, stirring the contents of a large pan
carefully.

Susan tossed her head slightly, but admitted that the morning _was_
good.

"He's a-writin' of a letter to Grumpy," said Dan, pointing with his
thumb towards the ce