would make!"

Barbara liked this exhibition of the mountain girl's abilities no better
than she had liked anything which Madge had done. Her lip curled
somewhat scornfully. "What a pity that her sex should bar her from that
vocation!" she said coldly.

She turned to Frank, who was watching Madge with startled eyes, worried
as to the result of this mad prank on both the girl and mare.

"Frank," said Barbara, "what a figure she will make to-night at your
lawn-party! How your friends will laugh at her!"

Layson cast a quick, sharp glance at her. She was not advancing her own
cause by trying, thus, to ridicule the mountain maiden. "I'll run the
risk," he said. "She is my guest, you know, and, as such, will surely be
given every consideration and courtesy by all."

"Oh, certainly," said Barbara, seeing that she had gone, perhaps, too
far. "If you wish it. I should be glad to please you, once again."

"Nothing could please me more than to have you show her what kindnesses
you can. I know she will feel strange and worried."

Madge, sitting Queen Bess with an ease and grace which that intelligent
mare had never found in any other rider, and, now, far from them at the
other end of the great training-field, absorbed the youth's delighted
glances.

"Can't you forget her for an instant?" exclaimed Barbara. "You haven't
been at all the same since you came back from the mountains! Once we
were always together. Now I never see you unless I come over here; and
no matter what I do, you don't seem to care."

Layson was uneasy. He had been aware, for a long time, that, sooner or
later, a complete understanding of his changed feelings toward this
girl, must, in some way, be accomplished. Now seemed a good time for
it, yet he hesitated at the thought of it. But the thing had to be gone
through with. "I know I used to play the tyrant, Barbara; but it wasn't
a pleasant role, and I was always half-ashamed of it."

The girl flared into a passion. "What do you mean?"

"Barbara, I have had no right to go so far, no right to ask so much of
you. From the bottom of my heart I beg forgiveness. Let us forget it all
and just be friends again." And, even as he spoke, his eyes were
wandering toward the girl whom Queen Bess had so utterly surrendered to.
The mare, known since she had first been saddled, as a terror to all
riders, was carrying her as gently as the veriest country hack had ever
borne an old lady from the farm to market.

Bar