He seems very much taken with her; and no wonder, for she is really excessively pretty; and when she is in spirits, as she was to-night, her manner is most piquante and fascinating."

"Well, my dear boy," was the reply, "you know your friend best, and if he and f.a.n.n.y choose to take a fancy to each other, and you approve of it, I shall not say anything against it."

Whereupon I kissed her, called her a dear, good old mother, and carried up for her, in token of affection, her work-box, her reticule, her candle and a basket, -331-- containing a large bunch of keys, sundry halfpence and three pairs of my own stockings which wanted mending, a process which invariably rendered them unwearable ever after.

CHAPTER XLII -- THE MEET AT EVERSLEY GORSE

"We'll make you some sport with the fox Ere we case him."

--_All's Well that Ends Well_.

"Oh! for a fall, if fall she must, On the gentle lap of Flora; But still, thank Heaven, she clings to her seat."

--_Hood_.

"She held his drooping head, Till given to breathe the freer air, Returning life repaid their care; He gazed on them with heavy sigh-- I could have wished e'en thus to die."

--_Rokeby_.

IT had been arranged between my mother and Oaklands, in the earlier part of the evening on which the events described in the last chapter took place, that f.a.n.n.y should have her first ride on the day but one following, by which time it was supposed that the habit would be fit for service, and the young lady's mind sufficiently familiarised with the idea, to overcome a rather (as I considered) unnecessary degree of alarm which I believe would have led her, had she been allowed to decide for herself, to relinquish it altogether. The only stipulation my mother insisted on was, that I should accompany my sister in the character of chaperon, an arrangement to which, as it was quite evident that Lawless intended to form one of the party, I made no objection. Accordingly, on the day appointed, Oaklands made his appearance about ten o'clock, mounted on his favourite horse, and attended by a groom, leading the grey Arab which was destined to carry f.a.n.n.y, as well as a saddle-horse for me.

"Bravo, Harry! it does one good to see you and the 'Cid' together again," exclaimed I, patting the arched neck of the n.o.ble animal; "how well he is looking!"

"Is he not?" replied Oaklands warmly; "the good old horse knew me as well as possible, and gave a neigh of pleasure when first I spoke to him. Is f.a.n.n.y nearly ready?"

"She will be here directly," replied I; and the words had -332-- scarcely escaped my lips when she made her appearance, looking so lovely in her hat and habit, that I felt sure it would be all over with Lawless as soon as he saw her.

"Why, f.a.n.n.y," exclaimed Oaklands, dismounting slowly and with effort, for he was still lamentably weak, "I have not seen you in a habit so long, I declare I should scarcely have known you; the effect is quite magical."

A smile and a blush were her only reply; and Oaklands continued, "Will you not like to mount now? Lawless will join us; but he means' to abandon us again when we get near Eversley Gorse, for the superior attractions of a run with the subscription pack."

"Oh, I hope the hounds will not come in our way," exclaimed f.a.n.n.y; "if you think there is any chance of their frightening my horse, I had better not ride to-day."

"I do not think you need feel the least alarm; though spirited, Rose Alba is perfectly quiet; besides, we are not bound to ride towards Eversley, unless you approve of doing so," replied Oaklands.

As he spoke, Lawless rode up just in time to catch the last few words.

He was dressed in an appropriate hunting costume, and sat his horse (a splendid black hunter, whose fiery temper rendered all those in whom the b.u.mp of caution was properly developed remarkably shy of him) as easily as if he formed part of the animal. As he checked his impatient steed, and taking off his hat, bowed to f.a.n.n.y, his eyes sparkling, and his whole countenance beaming with pleasure and excitement, he really looked quite handsome. The same idea seemed to strike f.a.n.n.y, who whispered to me, "If ever your friend has his picture taken, it should be on horseback".

"Good-morning, Miss Fairlegh!" cried Lawless, as flinging the rein to a groom, he sprang from the saddle, and bounded towards us; "glad to see you in what I consider the most becoming dress a lady can wear--very becoming it is too," he added, with a slight bend of the head to mark the compliment. "What did I hear you say about not riding to Eversley?

You never can be so cruel as to deny me the pleasure of your company, and I must go there to join the meet. I would not have hunted to-day, though, if I had known you wished to ride in another direction."

"It was only that f.a.n.n.y was afraid the hounds might frighten her horse,"

replied I.

"Oh, not the least danger; I'll take care of all that," returned Lawless; "the little white mare is as gentle as -333-- a lamb: I cantered her across the park myself yesterday on purpose to try--the sweetest thing for a lady I ever set eyes on. You have got some good cattle in your stables, Harry, I must own that."

"Hadn't we better think of mounting? Time will not stand still for us,"

observed I.

"Let me a.s.sist you, f.a.n.n.y," said Oaklands, advancing towards her.

"Thank you," replied f.a.n.n.y, drawing back: "but I need not give you the trouble; Frank will help me."

"Here, get out of the way!" cried Lawless, as I hesitated, fancying from the shade on Oaklands' brow that he might not like to be interfered with; "I see none of you know how to help a lady properly. Bring up that mare," he continued, "closer--that's it; stand before her head. Now, Miss Fairlegh, take a firm hold of the pummel; place your foot in my hand--are you ready?--spring! there we are--famously done! Oh, you know what you are about, I see. Let me give you the rein--between the fingers; yes--the snaffle will manage her best; the curb may hang loose, and only use it if it is necessary; let the groom stand by her till I am mounted; the black horse is rather fidgety; soh! boy, soh! quiet!--stand you brute!--there's a good boy; steady, steady--off we go!"

As Lawless pushed by me at the beginning of this speech, Oaklands advanced towards him, and his pale cheek flushed with anger. Apparently, however, changing his intention, he drew himself up haughtily, and, turning on his heel, walked slowly to his horse, mounted, and reining him back a few paces, sat motionless as an equestrian statue, gazing on the party with a gloomy brow until we had started, when, suddenly applying the spur, he joined us in a couple of bounds, and took his station at f.a.n.n.y's left hand. Lawless having appropriated the off side, devoted himself to the double task of managing the Arab and doing the agreeable to its fair rider, which latter design he endeavoured to accomplish by chattering incessantly.

After proceeding a mile or two, Lawless sustaining the whole burden of the conversation, while Oaklands never spoke a word, we came upon a piece of level greensward.

"Here's a famous place for a canter, Miss Fairlegh," exclaimed Lawless; "lean a little more towards me--that's right. Are you ready?--just tickle her neck with the whip--not too hard--jerk the rein slightly--gently, mare, gently!--there's a good horse, that's it!

Eh! don't -334-- you see she settles into her pace as quietly as a rocking-horse--oh! she's a sweet thing for a feather-weight;" and restraining the plunging of the fiery animal he rode, he leaned over, and patted the Arab's arched neck, as they went off at an easy canter.

I was about to follow their example, but observing that Oaklands delayed putting his horse in motion, it occurred to me that this being the first ride he had taken since his illness, the exertion might possibly be too much for his strength; I waited, therefore, till he joined me, when I inquired whether he felt any ill effects from the unwonted exertion.

"No," was the reply. "I feel an odd kind of fluttering in my side, but it is only weakness."

"Had you not better give it up for to-day, and let me ride back with you?

I dare say Lawless would not care about hunting for once, and would see f.a.n.n.y home."

"I will not go back!" he replied sternly; then checking himself, he added in a milder tone, "I mean to say it is not necessary--really I do not feel ill--besides, it was only a pa.s.sing sensation, and is already nearly gone."

He paused for a moment, and then continued, "How very dictatorial and disagreeable Lawless has grown of late, and what absurd nonsense he does talk when he is in the society of ladies! I wonder your sister can tolerate it." "She not only tolerates it," returned I, slightly piqued at the contemptuous tone in which he spoke of Lawless, "but is excessively amused by it; why, she said last night he was quite delightful."

"I gave her credit for better taste," was Oaklands' reply; and striking his horse impatiently with the spur, he dashed forward, and in a few moments we had rejoined the others.

"I hope illness has not soured Harry's temper, but he certainly appears more p.r.o.ne to take offence than in former days," was my inward comment, as I pondered over his last words. "I am afraid f.a.n.n.y has annoyed him; I must speak to her, and give her a hint to be more careful for the future."

Half an hour's brisk riding brought us to the outskirts of a broad common, a great portion of which was covered by the gorse or furze from which it took its name. Around the sides of this were gathered from sixty to eighty well-mounted men, either collected in groups, to discuss the various topics of local interest which occupy the minds of country gentlemen, or riding up and down in parties of two and three together, impatient for the -335-- commencement of their morning's sport; while, in a small clear s.p.a.ce, nearly in the centre of the furze-brake, were stationed the hounds, with the huntsman and whippers-in. "There!"

exclaimed Lawless, "look at that! Talk about operas and exhibitions!

where will you find an exhibition as well worth seeing as that is? I call that a sight for an empress. Now are not you glad I made you come, Miss Fairlegh?"

"The red coats look very gay and picturesque, certainly," replied f.a.n.n.y; "and what loves of horses, with their satin skins glistening in the sunshine! But I wish Rose Alba would not p.r.i.c.k up her ears in that way; I'm rather frightened."

While Lawless was endeavouring to convince her there was no danger, and that he was able and willing to frustrate any nefarious designs which might enter into the graceful little head of the white Arab, a young man rode up to Oaklands, and shaking him warmly by the hand, congratulated him on being once more on horseback.

"Ah, Whitcombe, it's a long time since you and I have met," returned Harry; "you have been abroad, I think?" "Yes," was the reply; "Charles and I have been doing the grand tour, as they call it." "How is your brother?"

"Oh, he's all right, only he has grown a great pair of moustaches, and won't cut them off; he has taken up a notion they make him look killing, I believe. He was here a minute ago--yes, there he is, talking to Randolph. Come and speak to him, he'll be delighted to see you." "Keep your eye on f.a.n.n.y's mare," said Oaklands, as he rode past me, "she seems fidgety, and that fellow Lawless is thinking more about the hounds than he is of her, though he does boast so much of the care he can take of her. I shall be with you again directly."

"Do you see the gentleman on the bright bay, Miss Fairlegh?" exclaimed Lawless; "there, he's speaking to Tom Field, the huntsman, now; he has got his watch in his hand; that's Mr. Rand, the master of the hounds; you'll see some fun directly. Ah! I thought so."

As he spoke, at a signal from the huntsman, the hounds dashed into cover, and were instantly lost to sight in a waving sea of gorse, save when a head or neck became visible for a moment, as some dog more eager than the rest sprang over a tangled brake, through which he was unable to force his way.

"Oh, you beauties!" resumed Lawless -336-- enthusiastically, "only watch them; they're drawing it in first-rato style, and there's rare lying in that cover. Now see how the furze shakes--look at their sterns nourishing; have at him there--have at him; that's right, Tom--cheer 'em on, boy--good huntsman is Tom Field--there again!--a fox, I'll bet five hundred pounds to a pony--hark!--a whimper--now wait--a challenge!

another and another--listen to them--there's music--watch the right-hand corner--that's where he'll break cover for a thousand, and if he does, what a run we shall have! Look at those fools," he added, pointing to a couple of c.o.c.kney-looking fellows who were cantering towards the very place he had pointed to, "they'll head him back as sure as fate; hold hard there--why does not somebody stop them? By Jove, I'll give them a taste of the double thong when I get up with them, even if it's the Lord Mayor of London and his brother. Look to your sister, Frank, I'll be back directly."

"Wait one minute," shouted I, but in vain; for before the words were well out of my mouth, he had driven the spurs into his eager horse, and was galloping furiously in the direction of the unhappy delinquents who had excited his indignation. My reason for asking him to wait a minute was, that just as the hounds began drawing the cover, I had made the agreeable discovery that the strap to which one of my saddle-girths was buckled had given way, and that there was nothing for it but to dismount and repair the evil; and I had scarcely concluded the best temporary arrangement I was able to effect, when Lawless started in pursuit of the c.o.c.kneys. Almost at the same moment a countryman, stationed at the outside of the gorse, shouted "Tally-ho!" and the fox broke cover in gallant style, going away at a rattling pace, with four or five couple of hounds on his traces. In an instant all was confusion, cigars were thrown away, hats pressed firmly down upon the brow, and, with a rush like the outburst of some mighty torrent, the whole field to a man swept rapidly onward.

In the meanwhile f.a.n.n.y's mare, which had for some minutes shown symptoms of excitement, pawing the ground with her fore-foot, p.r.i.c.king up her ears, and tossing her head impatiently, began, as Lawless rode off, to plunge in a manner which threatened at every moment to unseat her rider, and as several hors.e.m.e.n dashed by her, becoming utterly unmanageable, she set off at a wild gallop, drowning in the clatter of her hoofs f.a.n.n.y's agonised cry for help. Driven nearly frantic by the -337-- peril in which my sister was placed, I was even yet prevented for a minute or more from hastening to her a.s.sistance, as my own horse, frightened by the occurrences I have described, struggled so violently to follow his companions as to render it very difficult for me to hold, and quite impossible to remount, him, so that when at length I succeeded in springing on his back, the hounds were already out of sight, and f.a.n.n.y and her runaway steed so far ahead of me, that it seemed inevitable some accident must occur before I could overtake them, and it was with a sinking heart that I gave my horse the rein, and dashed forward in pursuit.