had been crazy with delight over her success in getting the
engagement from the manager in Paris, and it had not occurred to her
that her appearance had had a great deal to do with her having been
accepted. She had signed a contract for a year; and looking forward a
year seemed a very long time. There had been opposition at home.

Her father had said, "I don't approve, but at the same time I don't
know in the least what else you can do. It's Hobson's choice. You can
ride, and you've got looks of the sort to take in a public career."

Her mother had been frankly brutal. Now that there was no money, she
said, she could not have three great girls at home doing nothing. She
had given them all a good education and they must try and make some use
of it. Neither of the younger sisters, Isobel and Valerie, were old
enough to do anything for themselves, so Arithelli at the age of
twenty-four had taken her courage, which was the indomitable courage of
her race, in both hands, and launched herself on the world. The
bare-backed riding of her early days in Galway had proved a valuable
asset, and there was not a horse she could not manage.

Her slim figure seemed born to the saddle, and her nerve was as yet
unshaken.

The man who had engaged her had been more than a little astonished at
the composure with which she showed off the horses' paces, and went
through various tricks. As she was young and inexperienced, he would
get her cheaply; she could be taught all the stereotyped acts with very
little trouble, and her morbid style of beauty would be a draw in Spain.

There was nothing of the English miss about her appearance and few
people would have believed her to be only twenty-four. She had no
freshness, no _beaute de diable_. Her beauty was that of line and
modelling. Her quietness was partly the result of a convent education.
An old Irish nun had told her once that good looks were a snare and a
delusion of the Devil, and that hers would never bring her happiness.

At least they had got her an engagement, and a circus had always
represented to her the very height of romance.

She wondered how she could manage for money till she got her five
pounds next Friday. It was lucky that all her habits, and so on, were
provided by the management. She wished to-morrow would arrive, for she
felt eager to begin work, and see the horses. She had quite forgotten
all about Emile's promised visit, and was just pulling down the