Part 42 (2/2)

said the Duke. ”He'll carry Miss Trefoil quite safely,” said Lord Rufford who was at the moment standing over a game pie on the sideboard. Then the subject was allowed to drop.

At half-past nine there was no rain, and the ladies were so nearly punctual that the carriages absolutely started at ten. Some of the men rode on; one got a seat on the carriage; and Lord Rufford drove himself and a friend in a dog-cart, tandem. The tandem was off before the carriages, but Lord Rufford a.s.sured them that he would get the master to allow them a quarter of an hour. Arabella contrived to say one word to him. ”If you start without me I'll never speak to you again.” He nodded and smiled; but perhaps thought that if so it might be as well that he should start without waiting for her.

At the last moment the d.u.c.h.ess had taken it into her head that she too would go to the meet. No doubt she was actuated by some feeling in regard to her niece; but it was not till Arabella was absolutely getting on to Jack at the side of the carriage,--under the auspices of Jack's owner,--that the idea occurred to her Grace that there would be a great difficulty as to the return home. ”Arabella, how do you mean to get back?” she asked.

”That will be all right, aunt,” said Arabella.

”I will see to that,” said Lord Rufford.

The gracious but impatient master of the hounds had absolutely waited full twenty minutes for the d.u.c.h.ess's party;--and was not minded to wait a minute longer for conversation. The moment that the carriages were there the huntsmen had started so that there was an excuse for hurry. Lord Rufford as he was speaking got on to his own horse, and before the d.u.c.h.ess could expostulate they were away. There was a feeling of triumph in Arabella's bosom as she told herself that she had at any rate secured her day's hunting in spite of such heart-breaking difficulties.

The sport was fairly good. They had twenty minutes in the morning and a kill. Then they drew a big wood during which they ate their lunch and drank their sherry. In the big wood they found a fox but could not do anything with him. After that they came on a third in a stubble field and ran him well for half an hour, when he went to ground. It was then three o'clock; and as the days were now at the shortest the master declined to draw again. They were then about sixteen miles from Mistletoe, and about ten from Stamford where Lord Rufford's horses were standing. The distance from Stamford to Mistletoe was eight. Lord Rufford proposed that they should ride to Stamford and then go home in a hired carriage. There seemed indeed to be no other way of getting home without taking three tired horses fourteen miles out of their way. Arabella made no objection whatever to the arrangement. Lord Rufford did in truth make a slight effort,--the slightest possible,--to induce a third person to join their party. There was still something pulling at his coat-tail, so that there might yet be a chance of saving him from the precipice.

But he failed. The tired horseman before whom the suggestion was casually thrown out, would have been delighted to accept it, instead of riding all the way to Mistletoe;--but he did not look upon it as made in earnest. Two, he knew, were company and three none.

The hunting field is by no means a place suited for real love-making.

Very much of preliminary conversation may be done there in a pleasant way, and intimacies may be formed. But when lovers have already walked with arms round each other in a wood, riding together may be very pleasant but can hardly be ecstatic. Lord Rufford might indeed have asked her to be Lady R. while they were breaking up the first fox, or as they loitered about in the big wood;--but she did not expect that. There was no moment during the day's sport in which she had a right to tell herself that he was misbehaving because he did not so ask her. But in a postchaise it would be different.

At the inn at Stamford the horses were given up, and Arabella condescended to take a gla.s.s of cherry brandy. She had gone through a long day; it was then half-past four, and she was not used to be many hours on horseback. The fatigue seemed to her to be very much greater than it had been when she got back to Rufford immediately after the fatal accident. The ten miles along the road, which had been done in little more than an hour, had almost overcome her. She had determined not to cry for mercy as the hard trot went on. She had pa.s.sed herself off as an accustomed horsewoman, and having done so well across the country, would not break down coming home. But, as she got into the carriage, she was very tired. She could almost have cried with fatigue;--and yet she told herself that now,--now,--must the work be done. She would perhaps tell him that she was tired. She might even a.s.sist her cause by her languor;--but, though she should die for it, she would not waste her precious moments by absolute rest. ”May I light a cigar?” he said as he got in.

”You know you may. Wherever I may be with you do you think that I would interfere with your gratifications?”

”You are the best girl in all the world,” he said as he took out his case and threw himself back in the corner.

”Do you call that a long day?” she asked when he had lit his cigar.

”Not very long.”

”Because I am so tired.”

”We came home pretty sharp. I thought it best not to shock her Grace by too great a stretch into the night. As it is you will have time to go to bed for an hour or two before you dress. That's what I do when I am in time. You'll be right as a trivet then.”

”Oh; I'm right now,--only tired. It was very nice.”

”Pretty well. We ought to have killed that last fox. And why on earth we made nothing of that fellow in Gooseberry Grove I couldn't understand. Old Tony would never have left that fox alive above ground. Would you like to go to sleep?”

”O dear no.”

”Afraid of gloves?” said he, drawing nearer to her. They might pull him as they liked by his coat-tails but as he was in a postchaise with her he must make himself agreeable. She shook her head and laughed as she looked at him through the gloom. Then of course he kissed her.

”Lord Rufford, what does this mean?”

”Don't you know what it means?”

”Hardly.”

”It means that I think you the jolliest girl out. I never liked anybody so well as I do you.”

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