ght,
and her smile, which was of the same shape as his, was of another
quality, as she leaned across him and gave me her pretty little gloved
hand with a gay laugh. "I should think you would be afraid of such a
fiery sorrel dragon as that," I said, in recognition of the colt's
lifting and twitching with impatience as we talked.

"Oh, I'm not afraid with papa!" she said, and she laughed again as he
took her hand in one of his and covered it out of sight.

I recalled, now, looking at him there in the twilight of the woods, how
happy they had both seemed that sunny afternoon in the city square, as
they flashed away from my door and glanced back at me and smiled
together. I went into the house and said to my wife with a formulation
of the case which pleased me, "If there is anything in the world that
Tedham likes better than to ride after a good horse, it is to ride after
a good horse with that little girl of his." "Yes," said my wife, "but a
good horse means a good deal of money; even when a little girl goes with
it." "That is so," I assented, "but Tedham has made a lot lately in real
estate, they say, and I don't know what better he could do with his
money; or, I don't believe _he_ does." We said no more, but we both
felt, with the ardor of young parents, that it was a great virtue, a
saving virtue, in Tedham to love his little girl so much; I was
afterward not always sure that it was. Still, when Tedham appealed to me
now in the name of his love for her, he moved my heart, if not my
reason, in his favor; those old superstitions persist.

"Why, of course, you want to see her. But I couldn't tell you where she
is."

"You could find out for me."

"I don't see how," I said; but I did see how, and I knew as well as he
what his next approach would be. I felt strong against it, however, and
I did not perceive the necessity of being short with him in a matter not
involving my own security or comfort.

"I could find out where Hasketh is," he said, naming the husband of his
sister-in-law; "but it would be of no use for me to go there. They
wouldn't see me." He put this like a question, but I chose to let it be
its own answer, and he went on. "There is no one that I can ask to act
for me in the matter but you, and I ask _you_, March, to go to my
sister-in-law for me."

I shook my head. "That I can't do, Tedham."

"Ah!" he urged, "what harm could it do you?"

"Look here, Tedham!" I said. "I don't know why you feel authori