e rough to her,--sometimes
almost scolding her. But then he scolded her as she liked to be
scolded,--with a dash of fun and a greatly predominating admixture
of good-nature. He was like a bear,--but a bear who would always
behave himself pleasantly. She was delighted when Colonel Stubbs
congratulated her on her escape from Kingsbury Crescent, and felt
that he was justified by his intimacy when he called Mrs. Dosett a
mollified she-Cerberus.

"Are you going to make one of my team?" said the Colonel to her on
the morning after her arrival. It was a non-hunting morning, and the
gentlemen were vacant about the house till they went out for a little
shooting later on in the day.

"What team?" said Ayala, feeling that she had suddenly received a
check to her happiness. She knew that the Colonel was alluding to
those hunting joys which were to be prepared for Nina, and which were
far beyond her own reach. That question of riding gear is terrible to
young ladies who are not properly supplied. Even had time admitted
she would not have dared to use her uncle's money for such a purpose,
in the hope that a horse might be lent to her. She had told herself
that it was out of the question, and had declared to herself that she
was too thankful for her visit to allow any regret on such a matter
to cross her mind. But when the Colonel spoke of his team there was
something of a pang. How she would have liked to be one of such a
team!

"My pony team. I mean to drive too. You mustn't think that I am
taking a liberty when I say that they are to be called Nina and
Ayala."

There was no liberty at all. Had he called her simply Ayala she would
have felt it to be no more than pleasant friendship, coming from him.
He was so big, and so red, and so ugly, and so friendly! Why should
he not call her Ayala? But as to that team,--it could not be. "If
it's riding," she said demurely, "I can't be one of the ponies."

"It is riding,--of course. Now the Marchesa is not here, we mean to
call it hunting in a mild way."

"I can't," she said.

"But you've got to do it, Miss Dormer."

"I haven't got anything to do it with. Of course, I don't mind
telling you."

"You are to ride the sweetest little horse that ever was
foaled,--just bigger than a pony. It belongs to Sir Harry's sister
who is away, and we've settled it all. There never was a safer little
beast, and he can climb through a fence without letting you know that
it's there."

"But I mean