with him yesterday with a sheet hanging over him like a lady's habit, and the man got up into a lady's saddle."
"I think Gregory would make a better hand of it than Lucy."
"The horse cantered with him as though he had carried a lady all his life, and his mouth is like velvet—indeed, that is his fault; he is too soft-mouthed."
"I suppose that's the same sort of thing as a man being soft-hearted," said Lucy.
"Exactly; you ought to ride them both with a very light hand. They are difficult cattle to manage, but very pleasant when you know how to do it."
"But you see I don't know how to do it," said Lucy.
"As regards the horse, you will learn in two days, and I do hope you will try. Don't you think it will be an excellent thing for her, Mrs. Robarts?"
"Lucy has got no habit," said Mrs. Robarts, making use of the excuse common on all such occasions.
"There is one of Justinia's in the house, I know. She always leaves one here, in order that she may be able to ride when she comes."
"She would not think of taking such a liberty with Lady Meredith's things," said Fanny, almost frightened at the proposal.
"Of course it is out of the question, Fanny," said Lucy, now speaking rather seriously. "In the first place, I would not take Lord Lufton's horse; in the second place, I would not take Lady Meredith's habit; in the third place, I should be a great deal too much frightened; and, lastly, it is quite out of the question for a great many other very good reasons."
"Nonsense," said Lord Lufton.
"A great deal of nonsense," said Lucy, laughing, "but all of it of Lord Lufton's talking. But we are getting cold—are we not, Fanny?—so we will wish you good-night." And then the two ladies shook hands with him, and walked on toward the Parsonage.
That which astonished Mrs. Robarts the most in all this was the perfectly collected manner in which Lucy spoke and conducted herself. This, connected, as she could not but connect it, with the air of chagrin with which Lord Lufton received Lucy's decision, made it manifest to Mrs. Robarts that Lord Lufton was annoyed because Lucy would
