e an
endeavor to guard. Suddenly there beamed into their eyes, quite close
to them, the two lamps of a carriage, shorn of rays by the fog. Its
approach had been quite unheard, by reason of their own noise. The
carriage was a covered one, while behind it could be discerned another
vehicle laden with luggage.

Winterborne went to the head of the team, and heard the coachman
telling the carter that he must turn back. The carter declared that
this was impossible.

"You can turn if you unhitch your string-horses," said the coachman.

"It is much easier for you to turn than for us," said Winterborne.
"We've five tons of timber on these wheels if we've an ounce."

"But I've another carriage with luggage at my back."

Winterborne admitted the strength of the argument. "But even with
that," he said, "you can back better than we. And you ought to, for
you could hear our bells half a mile off."

"And you could see our lights."

"We couldn't, because of the fog."

"Well, our time's precious," said the coachman, haughtily. "You are
only going to some trumpery little village or other in the
neighborhood, while we are going straight to Italy."

"Driving all the way, I suppose," said Winterborne, sarcastically.

The argument continued in these terms till a voice from the interior of
the carriage inquired what was the matter. It was a lady's.

She was briefly informed of the timber people's obstinacy; and then
Giles could hear her telling the footman to direct the timber people to
turn their horses' heads.

The message was brought, and Winterborne sent the bearer back to say
that he begged the lady's pardon, but that he could not do as she
requested; that though he would not assert it to be impossible, it was
impossible by comparison with the slight difficulty to her party to
back their light carriages. As fate would have it, the incident with
Grace Melbury on the previous day made Giles less gentle than he might
otherwise have shown himself, his confidence in the sex being rudely
shaken.

In fine, nothing could move him, and the carriages were compelled to
back till they reached one of the sidings or turnouts constructed in
the bank for the purpose. Then the team came on ponderously, and the
clanging of its sixteen bells as it passed the discomfited carriages,
tilted up against the bank, lent a particularly triumphant tone to the
team's progress--a tone which, in point of fact, did not at all attach
to its co