Part 13 (1/2)

”The race has not been a fair one,” said Hardy; ”my horse has been specially trained for this sort of work, the horses I rode against have not, I therefore wish the cup given to the second horse.”

The Danish officers pressed Hardy to take the cup, but Hardy was firm.

They spoke to him in that manly way habitual with Danish gentlemen, and Hardy liked them. They went up to Buffalo, which Robert Garth was leading up and down to cool; and Hardy induced one of the officers to try Buffalo at one of the small fences erected for the hurdle race; and when he came back, the Danish cavalry officer said, ”Why, you could have ridden away from us from the first!”

”No doubt,” said Hardy.

”And you did not, because you did not wish to let the race appear a hollow one,” said the officer, ”and it would disappoint so many.”

”I only entered my horse for the race,” said Hardy, ”under great pressure, not until I saw I should give offence to G.o.dseier Jensen and many others who have been kind to me. They wanted to see my horse race. I intended to have let my servant ride, but when I heard I should have to ride against Danish gentlemen, I rode myself.”

”What a charger he would make!” said one of the cavalry officers.

”He is too light in bone,” said Hardy. ”I am an officer in the yeomanry cavalry of my country, and use a bigger framed horse as a charger.”

”We will take the cup because it is your wish, Herr Hardy,” said the officer, ”but you must come and dine with some of us to-morrow, and bring your horse, and let the other men of our regiment see it. We are much obliged to you. You have taught us what we have heard of, and that is a hunting-seat. Cavalry men cannot go well across country, riding, as we do, with a cavalry seat. We dine at three. Ask for Baron Jarlsberg.”

Hardy accepted, and went up to the grand stand where Fru Jensen and her daughters were and Frken Helga Lindal. He had changed his clothes for a black morning coat and tweed trousers. The last race was being ran.

”Herr Jensen has sent me to see you to your carriage, Fru Jensen,”

said Hardy; ”he is much occupied with his duties of honorary secretary, and settling the usual disputes that arise.”

”And was that you with a blue handkerchief round your head and nothing on but a flannel s.h.i.+rt?” asked Fru Jensen.

”Yes,” said Hardy; ”but I had other garments on than a flannel s.h.i.+rt.”

”Of course,” said Fru Jensen, ”of course; but if I were your mother, I should be afraid of your catching cold.”

”But when, Fru Jensen, we ride a race, we have to be dressed for it, and the less clothes we have the better.”

”And you have won the race, I hear,” said Fru Jensen; ”but I did not know who won, and I see it is a silver cup. It will be something to take back to England. Your father, Helga, will be glad to hear Herr Hardy is to have a silver cup.”

Helga had perception enough to see that she had wounded Hardy in the early part of the day and that he had not forgotten it. He said nothing to her, but gave Fru Jensen his arm, and conducted them to the Jensen's carriage, a heavy four-wheeled conveyance, arranged to carry eight, by seats placed one after the other in a sort of four-wheeled dogcart with a long body.

It had been a great desire of proprietor Jensen to have a dinner of a public character after the races, but this it was found not practicable to carry out within anything like a reasonable hour, according to Danish notions, and the consequence was Herr Jensen had to content himself with asking as many of his own friends and his friends' friends as he could to his own Herregaard. He was in the best possible humour. The races had gone off without a hitch, and every one had congratulated him. He had been told he had made a great hit with his Englishman, as the officers of the Danish cavalry regiment were delighted with him. It was, however, positively necessary that the worthy proprietor should return home to receive his friends.

”Where is the Englishman?” he inquired, as he came to the carriage.

”Here,” said Hardy. ”The ladies are waiting for you, and the carriage is ready to start.”

John Hardy was going to sit by the side of one of Herr Jensen's daughters, but he would not have it. The proprietor must talk over the races with Hardy, and he did, so volubly that Hardy could scarcely understand him. ”I never saw anything so smart as the way you took those fences after pa.s.sing the other horses! It was grand to see your horse going easily over about a foot above them; and the way you came in past the judges was splendid. I must say I did not like your refusal to take the prize; it was only a cup that cost us about 5 of your money, but it was the prize for all that, and was well won. If it was the smallness of its value,” said the worthy proprietor, carried away by his enthusiasm, ”I would give you a dozen such. They lost the race at once by not taking the water jump and galloping their horses through it without jumping it. I saw you were in a difficulty, but the way you held your horse and took the water jump was good. I did like the way also in which you spoke to the cavalry officers and letting one of them ride your horse over one of the hurdle jumps, and so let him see that they had been nowhere, and that you could have beaten them at any point of the race. After all, I think you were right to give up the cup with such a superior horse, but very few men would have done it, but the way you did it is what has made such a good impression. Come and stay with me as long as you like! There is a little river through my property with trout in it, you may catch them all if you like.”

”Thank you, Herr Jensen,” said Hardy, ”but I return to England shortly. I will, however, come over, with your permission, and fish your river, which is a little tributary to the Gudenaa, and I hear has some good trout in it. We have not liked to ask your leave, because you might have other friends for whom you would wish to reserve the fis.h.i.+ng.”

”If I had,” said the proprietor, ”I would give it you; nothing would give me greater pleasure than to return your kindness to me. You gave up your own wishes about the racing only to oblige me; you did not wish to ride or risk your horse, but you did it to oblige me.”

”Thank you very much,” said Hardy. ”May I take Pastor Lindal's two sons, Karl and Axel, with me to fish? They will not depopulate the stream.”

”You may take anybody,” said Herr Jensen, warmly.