e jerk, and, with the words, "I suppose that means
dinner," gave his arm to his sister, and conducted her in silence to the
dining-room.

Nothing in the shape of conversation followed for a while, Mr
Huntingdon having shut up his sister by a very curt reply to a question
which she put on some commonplace subject, just for the sake of breaking
through the oppressive stillness. At length, when the meal was half-way
through, Mr Huntingdon exclaimed abruptly,--

"I can't understand for the life of me how that fool of a Dick ever
managed to get poor Forester into such a scrape. I always thought the
boy understood horses better than that."

"I hope, Walter," ventured his sister in a soothing tone, "that the poor
animal is not seriously, or at any rate permanently, damaged."

"Nonsense, Kate," he exclaimed peevishly;--"but, pardon me, it's no
fault of yours. Damaged! I should think so. I doubt if he will ever
be fit to ride again. But I can't make it out quite yet, it's very
vexing. I had rather have given a hundred pounds than it should have
happened. And Dick, too; the fellow told the queerest tale about it. I
should have thought he was telling a lie, only he was taking the blame
to himself, and that didn't look like lying.--By-the-by, Amos, have
_you_ been out riding this afternoon?"

"Yes, father."

"What horse did you ride?"

"My own pony, Prince."

"Did you meet Dick exercising the horses?"

"No; I didn't see anything of him."

"That is strange. Where were you riding to?"

"I was off on a little business beyond the moor."

"Beyond the moor! what can you have been wanting beyond the moor?"

Amos turned red and did not reply.

"I don't know what has come to the boy," said the squire surlily. But
now Walter, who had not uttered a word hitherto, broke in suddenly,
"Father, you mustn't be hard upon Dick. It's a misfortune, after all.
There isn't a better rider anywhere; only accidents will happen
sometimes, as you know they did the other night. Forester bolted when
the little girl's red cloak blew off and flapped right on to his eyes.
Dick was not expecting it, and tried to keep the horses in; but Forester
sprang right through a hedge and staked himself before Dick could pull
him in. It's a mercy, I think, that Dick hadn't his neck broke."

He said these last words slowly and reluctantly, for his eye had rested
on his aunt's hands, which were being laid quietly one across the other
on the tabl