managed to rub him up the
wrong way."

"Why, the difficulty would be to find the right way," Jim retorted.
"He's such a cross-grained beggar--you never know when you're going to
offend him; and of course he's perfectly idiotic about the horses.
Wonder if he thinks we LIKE horses with sore backs and mouths! He'll
have to give poor old Betty a spell, anyhow, for she's a patch on her
back the size of half a crown, thanks to him."

"Oh, dear!" said Norah, with a little shiver. "That's awfully bad
news--'cause I'd about made up my mind to offer him Bobs!"

"Offer--him--Bobs!" said Jim slowly. Wally gasped.

"Just for a ride, Jimmy. He's a guest, you know, and I don't like him
to feel ill-used. And you let him on Garryowen."

"Only for a moment--and then with my heart in my boots!" said Jim.
"Norah, I think you're utterly mad if you lend him Bobs--after last
night, too! Why, you know jolly well I'VE never asked you for your
pony!"

"Well, you could have had him," Norah answered, "you know that, Jimmy.
I don't want to lend him to Cecil--I simply hate it; but I don't like
the idea of his thinking we treated him at all badly."

"He's the sort of chap that would find a grievance if you gave
everything you had in the world," Jim said. "It's all rot--and I tell
you straight, Nor., I don't think it's safe, either. Bobs is all right
with you, of course, but he's a fiery little beggar, and there's no
knowing what he'd do with a sack of flour like that on his back. I wish
you wouldn't."

"What do you think, Wally?"

"Me? Oh, I'm with Jim," Wally answered. "Personally, I think a
velocipede is about Cecil's form, and it's absolute insult to a pony
like Bobs to ask him to carry him! And you'd hate it so, Nor.'!"

"Oh, I know I would," Norah said. "He's such a dear--"

"What! Cecil?"

"No, you donkey--Bobs," Norah continued, laughing. "I'd feel like
begging his pardon all the time. But--"

"Murty wants to see you, Master Jim," said Mary, entering. "Says he'd
be glad if you could spare him a minute."

"All right, Mary--thank you," said Jim, getting up lazily and strolling
out. "Back in a minute, you two."

"What happens to-day, Norah? Marmalade, please," said Wally, in a
breath.

"The marmalade happens on the spot," laughed Norah, handing it to him.
"Otherwise--oh, I don't know, unless we ride out somewhere and fish. We
haven't been out to Angler's Bend this time, have we?"

"No, but that's fifteen miles. You'd never