e girl looked ruefully down at her rent
habit, "to all the weak joints in my armour; and, lastly, they would
have done what you won't,--tease me to death about it for the next
week."

"Matrimony has inculcated that blindness is wisdom as far as I am
concerned," said Sartoris.

"You see, Captain Bloxam, how that ceremony quickens the understanding.
But you are very good. I know you think that my fall was my own fault;
that if I had listened to your warning it wouldn't have happened; and
you remain mute. Laura is a dear good girl; but, in your place, she
couldn't have resisted saying, 'Didn't I tell you so?' to save her
life."

Jim muttered a courteous and most mendacious disclaimer of Miss Sylla's
"grief" being due to disregard of his warning.

The leading trio, in the meanwhile, lost in all the exultation of a
good gallop, and in utter ignorance of Sylla Chipchase's fall, kept on
without slacking rein till they once more found themselves near the
high-road, sweeping round from the point they had left it to this, in
an arc, by traversing the chord of which they had saved about a mile;
and now, looking round for the remainder of the party, discovered, to
their surprise, that they were nowhere in sight.

"They must have gone round by the road!" exclaimed Blanche. "Perhaps
your cousin, Laura, is not used to crossing a country."

"That I can't say," replied Miss Chipchase. "Till this Easter I
haven't seen her since she was quite a small child; but I must say,
from what I know of her, that I am rather surprised she didn't try."

"I think it most probable she has tried," observed Lionel quietly.
"Shall I ride back and see what has become of them?"

"No," said Miss Chipchase, "I don't think that is necessary. Jim and
Mr. Sartoris will no doubt take every care of her. We had better jump
into the road, Blanche, and see if they are coming that way."

But of course there were no signs of the rearguard along the highway;
and after a delay of a few minutes the party agreed that Sylla was well
taken care of, and they might as well proceed leisurely homewards. The
victim of her ambition to "witch the world with noble horsemanship" saw
the leaders vanish from her view with much satisfaction. Under Jim
Bloxam's guidance, and proceeding quietly over more moderate fences,
which, though not the straightest, was perhaps the safest, path to the
high-road, they regained it without further accident. It must not be
supposed t