inous bearing and even advancing slowly towards her from
the group of his companions. It seemed to Dolly not desirable to stand
the question, and she set off to run; which proceeding, of course,
confirmed the young bull's suspicions, whatever they were, and he
followed on a run also. Dolly became aware of this, and now, with all
the strength of muscle that remained to her, fled towards the house; no
longer seeing its Gothic mouldings and picturesque lights and shadows,
only trying very hard to get near. She thought perhaps the creature
would be shy of the immediate neighbourhood of the house, and not
choose to follow her so far. But just as she reached that desirable
vicinity she longed for, she was met by another danger, coming from the
quarter from whence she sought safety. An enormous staghound dashed out
from his covert somewhere, with an utterance from his deep throat which
sounded sufficiently awful to Dolly, an angry or a warning bay, and
came springing towards her. Dolly stood still dismayed and uncertain,
the dog before and the bull behind; then, even before the former could
reach her, a voice was heard calling him off and directing him to the
advancing bull. In another minute or two a woman had come over the
grass and stood at Dolly's side. Dolly was on her feet no longer; with
the first breath of respite she had sunk down on the grass; nerves and
muscles all trembling with the exertion and with the fright.

The woman came up with a business air; then as she stood beside Dolly
her look changed. This was no common intruder, she saw; this
delicate-featured girl; and her dress too, simple as it was, was the
dress of a lady. Dolly on her part looked up to a face not
delicate-featured; far from it; solid and strong built as was the
person to which it belonged; sense and capacity and kindliness,
however, were legible even at that first glance.

"You've been rather badly frightened, ma'am, I'm afraid," she said, in
a voice which precisely matched the face; strong and somewhat harsh,
but kindly in accent.

"Very," said Dolly, whose face began to dimple now. "I am so much
obliged to you!"

"Not in the vary least, ma'am. But you are worried with the fright, I
fear?"

"No; I'll get up," said Dolly; "I'm only tired. I believe I'm a little
weak too. I haven't quite got over trembling, I find."

"You haven't your colour yet again, ma'am. Would you come into my room
and rest a bit?"

"Oh, thank you. You are very kin