s. The horse was only about that long, and so near the
ground that, for all his advantage in the matter of rollers, still the
little rider's feet touched the pavement. They even trailed and lurched,
as the horse went on, in that funny, spasmodic gait. The child had to
half walk, or, rather, make the motions--you know, without actually
bearing any of even his own weight. The slack-shouldered man did it all.
I crossed to the other side of the street, and stood and watched them
till, as I say, I nearly lost my train. The dingy workman, smoking
imperturbably, dragging the grotesque, almost hidden, horse--the
delighted child in the flapping sun-bonnet--the crisis when they came to
the crossing! The man turned and called out something. The child
declined to budge. I wondered what would happen. So did the man. He
waited a moment, and puffed smoke and considered. The baby dug his heels
in the pavement and shouted. Then I saw the man carefully tilt the toy
horse up by the rope. I stood and watched the successful surmounting of
the obstacle, and the triumphant progress as before--sun-bonnet
flapping, smoke curling. Of course the man was content! He had lost the
battle. You saw that in his lined face. What did it matter? _He held the
future by a string._'

Lord Borrodaile lifted his eyes and looked at her. Without a word the
two walked on.

The first to speak after the silence was the man. He pointed out a
curious effect of the light, and reminded her who had painted it best--

'Corot could do these things!'--and he flung a stone in passing at the
New Impressionists.

At the Lodge Gate they found Lady John with Filey and Hermione.

'We thought if we walked this way we might meet Jean and her bodyguard.
But I mustn't go any further.' Lady John consulted her watch. 'The rest
of you can take your time, but I have to go and receive my other guest.'

Filey and Hermione were still at the gate. The girl had caught sight of
Farnborough being driven by the park road to the station.

'Oh, I do believe it's the new mare they're trying in the dogcart,' said
Hermione. 'Let's wait and see her go by.'

Borrodaile and his companion kept at Lady John's side.

'I'm glad,' said Vida, 'that I shall at last make acquaintance with your
Jean.'

'Yes; it's odd your never having met, especially as she knows your
cousins at Bishopsmead so well.'

'I've been so little in England----'

'Yes, I know. A great business it is,' Lady John explained