she herself was standing,--quite wet through,
covered, as to her feet and legs, with mud, growing colder and colder
every minute. She touched her lips with a little brandy that somebody
gave her, and then declared again that she cared for nothing but
poor Warrior. At last poor Warrior was on his legs, with the water
dripping from his black flanks, with his nose stained with mud,
with one of his legs a little cut,--and, alas! with the saddle wet
through. Nevertheless, there was nothing to be done better than to
ride into Kilmarnock. The whole party must return to Kilmarnock,
and, perhaps, if they hurried, she might be able to get her clothes
dry before they would start by the train. Sir Griffin, of course,
accompanied her, and they two rode into the town alone. Mrs.
Carbuncle did hear of the accident soon after the occurrence, but had
not seen her niece; nor when she heard of it, could she have joined
Lucinda.

If anything would make a girl talk to a man, such a ducking as
Lucinda had had would do so. Such sudden events, when they come in
the shape of misfortune, or the reverse, generally have the effect
of abolishing shyness for the time. Let a girl be upset with you in
a railway train, and she will talk like a Rosalind, though before
the accident she was as mute as death. But with Lucinda Roanoke the
accustomed change did not seem to take place. When Sir Griffin had
placed her on her saddle, she would have trotted all the way into
Kilmarnock without a word if he would have allowed her. But he,
at least, understood that such a joint misfortune should create
confidence,--for he, too, had lost the run, and he did not intend to
lose his opportunity also. "I am so glad that I was near you," he
said.

"Oh, thank you, yes; it would have been bad to be alone."

"I mean that I am glad that it was I," said Sir Griffin. "It's very
hard even to get a moment to speak to you." They were now trotting
along on the road, and there were still three miles before them.

"I don't know," said she. "I'm always with the other people."

"Just so." And then he paused. "But I want to find you when you're
not with the other people. Perhaps, however, you don't like me."

As he paused for a reply, she felt herself bound to say something.
"Oh, yes, I do," she said,--"as well as anybody else."

"And is that all?"

"I suppose so."

After that he rode on for the best part of another mile before he
spoke to her again. He had made up his min