was pleased at their attention, and explained
that he had ridden a mile or two to try the animal's paces. "I bought
her," he added, with warmth so severely repressed as to seem
indifference, "because she has been used to carry a lady."

Still Mr. Melbury did not brighten. Mrs. Melbury said, "And is she
quiet?"

Winterborne assured her that there was no doubt of it. "I took care of
that. She's five-and-twenty, and very clever for her age."

"Well, get off and come in," said Melbury, brusquely; and Giles
dismounted accordingly.

This event was the concrete result of Winterborne's thoughts during the
past week or two. The want of success with his evening party he had
accepted in as philosophic a mood as he was capable of; but there had
been enthusiasm enough left in him one day at Sherton Abbas market to
purchase this old mare, which had belonged to a neighboring parson with
several daughters, and was offered him to carry either a gentleman or a
lady, and to do odd jobs of carting and agriculture at a pinch. This
obliging quadruped seemed to furnish Giles with a means of reinstating
himself in Melbury's good opinion as a man of considerateness by
throwing out future possibilities to Grace.

The latter looked at him with intensified interest this morning, in the
mood which is altogether peculiar to woman's nature, and which, when
reduced into plain words, seems as impossible as the penetrability of
matter--that of entertaining a tender pity for the object of her own
unnecessary coldness. The imperturbable poise which marked Winterborne
in general was enlivened now by a freshness and animation that set a
brightness in his eye and on his cheek. Mrs. Melbury asked him to have
some breakfast, and he pleasurably replied that he would join them,
with his usual lack of tactical observation, not perceiving that they
had all finished the meal, that the hour was inconveniently late, and
that the note piped by the kettle denoted it to be nearly empty; so
that fresh water had to be brought in, trouble taken to make it boil,
and a general renovation of the table carried out. Neither did he
know, so full was he of his tender ulterior object in buying that
horse, how many cups of tea he was gulping down one after another, nor
how the morning was slipping, nor how he was keeping the family from
dispersing about their duties.

Then he told throughout the humorous story of the horse's purchase,
looking particularly grim at so