dden the course, their names
were called and a billiard-cue given her, the girl's nerves steadied at
once and she was perfectly cool as she reined back her impatient pony at
the starting-line. The signal was given, and she and her partner dashed
down the course at a gallop. They did well, Charlesworth securing the
two pegs and cutting the Turk's head, while his affinity carried off two
rings and touched the third. No others had been as fortunate, and cheers
from the soldiers and plaudits from the enclosure greeted their success.
Noreen was encouraged, and a becoming colour flushed her face at the
applause. The last couple to ride tied with them, the lady taking all
the rings, her partner getting the Turk's head and one peg and touching
the second. The tie was run off at once. Noreen, to her delight, found
the three rings on her cue when she pulled up at the end of the course,
although she hardly remembered taking them, while Charlesworth had made
no mistake. Daunted by this result, their rivals lost their heads and
missed everything in their second run.

Noreen, on her return to the enclosure, was again loudly cheered by the
men, the applause of the ladies being noticeably fainter, possibly because
they resented a new arrival's success. But the girl was too pleasantly
surprised at her good luck to observe this, and responded gratefully to the
congratulations showered on her. She was no longer too excited to notice
her surroundings, and now was able to enjoy the scenery, the music, the gay
crowds, the frocks, as well as her tea when Charlesworth escorted her to
the Mess Tent.

In the Gretna Green Stakes she and her partner were not so fortunate. Over
the second hurdle in the run home Charlesworth's pony blundered badly and
he was forced to release his hold on the girl's hand. When the event came
for which he had originally requested her to nominate him, she suggested
that he should ask Mrs. Smith to do so instead. He was skilled enough in
the ways of women not to demur, and he did as he was wanted so tactfully
that Ida believed it to be his own idea. So, when the gymkhana ended and
Noreen and her chaperone said good-bye, he felt that he had advanced a good
deal in the girl's favour.

During the afternoon Noreen caught sight of Chunerbutty talking to a fat
and sensual-looking native in white linen garments with a string of
roughly-cut but very large diamonds round his neck and several obsequious
satellites standing behi