er, and is biding her time, waiting for events to bring her
to some desired point.

Meanwhile there was no doubt that she discerned immediately that the
girl beside her was suffering under a strain of some kind, and was
exerting herself to draw her out of her thoughts, to distract her
attention from her anxiety, whatever it might be, and presently she
succeeded. Philippa felt herself gaining strength from the other's
strong and sympathetic personality, and listened with interest to her
remarks upon the neighbourhood, and upon the various objects they
passed upon the road.

CHAPTER VIII

THE HEART OF BESSMOOR

"Those house them best who house for secrecy."--THOMAS HARDY.

"There is one distinct advantage in my humble chariot," Isabella said
presently, "and that is that you have plenty of time to give your full
attention to the scenery as you pass. If we were dashing along in a
motor I should not have time to tell you that those two flat stones
over there," she pointed in the direction as she spoke, "mark the
resting-place of the last highwayman who ever disturbed the peace of
these parts. He seems to have been a most mysterious person, by all
accounts, and he rode a white horse--surely a very foolish colour for a
highwayman to choose--and he kept the countryside in a state of terror.
He was caught at last--it would take too long to tell you the story of
his final escapade and capture--and hung upon that pine-tree.

"It appears that, within an hour of his execution, while the sheriff
and his men were still upon the moor, his body disappeared. It was
spirited away. And the country-people will tell you quite plainly that
the Old Gentleman came in person to fetch him. That, of course, may,
or may not, be true, but the curious part of it is that those two
stones--they are a fair size, as you can see--were placed there in that
position the same night. By the same agency, of course. Very civil of
the Old Gentleman to leave a memento of his visit, wasn't it? And
since then, of course, he rides at night upon his white horse on
Bessmoor, as every self-respecting highwayman who has swung for his
crimes should. I cannot say that I have ever had the pleasure of
seeing him, but of course I must believe in him. He is quite the most
notorious person on Bessmoor--the 'White Horse Rider' as they call him.

"You ask Mrs. Palling, the ancient lady who is good enough to 'do' for
me; she is quite what one might ca