Barbara Rebell

t to all Eque

cks are not the

te is music-l

ates, or gall

ed to ride wit

und them an i

d to Lo

in spite of the humble status of that same hunt among sporting fo

ccasion for a great gathering. There had been a time when it had taken place on the lawn of Chancton Priory, and the open-handed hospi

se to no hospitable house, had the advantage of proximity to the town of Halnakeham, bein

of uplands and lowlands, and reached by various steep ways, cut through the chalk, which gave the place its name, and wh

in practice he often allowed his daughter many a happy hour with the hounds, although she had to be cont

Kemp assured herself with wifely pride-in his white riding breeches and gr

d, Lucy. You know it's a good way to Whit

he was reading, "Yes, father, I'll go up

other of one of the few local festivities which Mrs. Kemp heartily enjoyed. Even more, Lucy feared her father's certain surprise and disappointment, follo

bitter to Lucy. The poor child wondered uneasily what she could have done to make her father see so clear

ew, but she had gone out, as she had come in, by the private door leading into the park. Mrs. Boringdon had been away for nearly a fortnight, staying with an invalid

aptain Laxton on the way. But, a year ago, Oliver Boringdon had ridden to the meet in their company, while this time nothing had been said as to whether he was even going to be there. A year ago, the day had been one full of happy enchantment to Lucy: for her father had allowe

s-such mothers as Mrs. Kemp-often have a sixth sense placed at their disposal by Prov

red, child, and you know it is a long way to Whiteways, and a rather

such a thing! I've been looking forward to to-day for ever so long! I know what you are thinking"-she flushed vividly, "but I'm sure Captain Laxton is much too old a friend to bea

ection for herself, or to the offer which she had rejected. To his mind such an allusion savoured almost of

, puzzled, "that she's thi

der to form as it were a screen between herself and what she had divined to be her mother's motive in suggesting t

partly through the Priory park, and it was that which was chosen by Mrs. Boringdon and Mrs. Kemp. Lucy and her father preferred a

oad for the short turf, broken here and there with hawthorn bushes; and Lucy, cheered by the keen upland air, was making a gallant effort to bear herself as she had always done on what had been such happy hunting days last winter. Already sh

. Lucy made her way at once through the crowd close to where Mrs. Boringdon's low pony-carriage was drawn up just beneath the high stone gate-way, next to that of Mrs. Sampson, the Chancton rector's wife, who had weakly consented to bring Miss Vipen. Even Do

kind of thing, and yet she knew he always enjoyed a day with the hounds, and that he had theories concerning the value of sport in such a neighbourhood as this. She remin

eems to provoke, she suddenly heard Boringdon's voice, and realised that he was trying to attract her attention. Lucy's pony, feeling the agit

ed in a good-tempered, happy mood-"I did so hope you would be he

er shook his head, shrugged his shoulders, and to Lucy's bitter, at the moment almost intolerable disappointment, turned his horse through the crowd towards the fir-trees close to which wer

It was always a great pleasure to Lucy to meet any of Boringdon's old political acquaintances. Such men were often at Fletchings. Of course L

y a lady, doubtless one of the Fletchings party, for she was mounted on a fine hunter, a certain S

of the South Sussex Hunt, and she and her mount together, made, from the sportsman's point of view, a very perfect and prett

soon became undisguisedly admiring, and the Master, old Squire Laxton, was noticed to cut short a

iosity. "Who is that with whom your son i

alnakeham party. The Duke always m

ollar, neat tie, and top hat. Oliver seemed to be on very good terms with his companion-doubtless she was one of his old London acquaintances. What a pity, thought Mrs. Boring

riage had done. The girl told herself that such perfection of attire, worn at such a meet as this of Whiteways, was almost an affectation on the part of the lady towards whom Oliver was

aken together on the downs on the morning of her first day at Chancton. It was nice of Oliver Boringdon to have brought her up at once

uch at her service; they had become quite good friends, and since she had "made it up" with the old doctor, she had taken pains

scanty riding habit-General Kemp's favourite form of safety skirt-of the loose w

ft full voice-"but my god-mother, Madame Sampiero, ordained that

ook absolutely right! My father often says what a pity it is that so many women have g

ng women looked exactly right, that is, exactly as he liked each of them to look-Lucy Kemp perhaps standing for the good serviceable homesp

o, Laxton!"-his voice became perceptibly colder, but Lucy noticed with some surprise that Mrs. Rebell bowed and smiled at the newcomer, but Boringdon gave her no time to speak to him-"You had better come over here," he said urgently, "we shall be gettin

time of the day, and if you can find the fox then, why you're all right!"-and the boastful tone of a keen weather-beaten elderly man, "I never want a warranty,-why should a man expect to find a perfect horse?-he don't look for perfection when he's seeking a wife, eh?" "Oh! but there's two wanted to complete that deal. T

was now gathered together, the hill dropped abruptly into a dark wood, a corner of the ancient forest of Anderida, that crossed by C?sar when he came from Gaul-a forest stretching from end to end of the South Downs, broken by swift rivers

rass, differing in quality and even in colour from the turf about it, and marking the place where, according to tradition, Boadicea made her last stand. From thence, by climbing up the low bank on which a hedge was now s

beauty of the sight before her. It was amazing to her that these people could be talking so eagerly to one another, gazing so critic

eling. She turned-foolishly, as she somewhat ruefully admitted to herself a moment later-to her com

tty indeed! Such a charming background to the men's red coats and to the dogs! Still, I wonder the Duke allows so many poor and dirty people to come strea

y impossible that Lucy should be happy, in any permanent sense,

e to her, alone divined the cause of the delay. The Master of the South Sussex Hunt, that is, Tom Laxton-she had known him all her life, and even as a boy he had been afraid of her-was, of course, waiting for the Duke, for the Duke and the Halnakeham party! It was too bad to keep t

ar from Oxford who despised the humble sports of a dull neighbourhood. But the time would come-Miss Vipen nodded her head triumphantly-when he, Lord Pendragon, would become very fat, like his mother, who, it was well known, was now too stout to ride. "They say," whispered Miss Vipen in Mrs. Sampson's unwilling ear,

former occasion he had viewed a fox break away in the direction of the open down, and had been able to get

towards Boadicea's camp. "If they find soon, which I think very doubtful," he said quietly, "and if, what i

e bore her no grudge. More, she reminded herself that during the whole of the past summer she had missed his good-natured presence-that they had all missed him, her mother even more than herself. If he had not come to Whiteways to-day, she wo

vantage away from the rest of the field, and that Oliver, with eager glowing face, was explaining the

t Barbara Rebell. The young man had come out to-day with the definite intention of saying somet

won't make any difference, Lucy-I mean as to

twelve years old. Now it is difficult, or so at least thought Lucy Kemp, to cherish any thought of roma

her thoughts of him, how pained her father and mother had been. And now? Even after so short a time as three months, here he was, looking as cheerful and as good-tempered as ever! It was clear he had not cared as much as she had thou

that I will bother you again in the same way. But honestly, you don't

very young girl, though he was more than welcome at another house in the neighbourhood. As for old Squire Laxton, Lucy knew only too well why he now always looked at her so disagreeably;

ain Laxton really wished it to do so? And so she said in a low

pose you would all be tired out this evening? I've been at Laxgrove nearly a wee

d Boringdon had ridden off, galloping his mare down the steep rough road where the Master, with anxious eyes, was watching the hounds slipping in and out of the wood. Lucy was rather puzzled. How was it that this strange lady, who had only arrived at the

nd Mrs. Rebell, I suppose, for a steam roller came up, and in a minute she was all over the place. Mrs. Rebell sat tight, but it gave her rather a turn, and Tom made her come into the house. Then yesterday-you know what a down-pour there was-well, she and Boringdon came in ag

n praised? To some girls, the young man would never have said anything complimentary concerning another lady

y men and their wives. It would probably be true of him were he to choose, and to be chosen, from among the group of pleasant girls with whom he had flirted, danced, and played games during the last few months. But with Lucy, ah! no,-Lucy Kemp had become a part of his life, and he could not imagine existence without her somewhere in the background. Of course

oons. The girl thought it quite reasonable that Boringdon should ride with Madame Sampiero's guest, in fact, that sort of thing was one of those nondescript duties of which he had sometimes complained to her as having been more than he had bargained for. Bu

d at last! Th

She and Laxton galloped down to the left-then waited-Laxton smiling broadly as the whole field swept past them just below, the m

heir hands on seeing the lady clear the obstacle. Laxton laughed. "Miss Vipen would talk about circus performances, eh! Lucy?" He had never liked Boringdon, the two men had nothing in comm

e cover, but, after running for only thirty or forty yards, scent had quickly failed, and a few min

try the Bramber wood." The speaker's eyes twinkled; the Duchess of Appleby and Kendal had been a keen sportswoman in her day, and it had been hoped that the hounds would find in the ducal covers. "Would

the day was to begin. He had heard the Master's dry words:-"The Duchess is gone, isn't she? Then let's make for Highcombe without losing a minute."

ned close to one another during the last hour-what did it all mean? H

dvise you to go back over the downs. It's a pleasan

was certainly about to do, old Squire Laxton's anger: the Master of the S.S.H. had never understood his favourite kinsman's attit

n't you ra

away!"-he smiled down on her-"I've b

d then down the wide grassy slopes skirting the high wal

uth as to her feeling for Oliver Boringdon. Soon she and her companion were talking quite happily together, he asking her about all

s intense feeling had at last roused an answering chord? A flood of deep colour swept over his fair sunburnt face. "Lucy!" he said hoarsely, "Lucy!" She looked up at him with sudden mute appeal, but alas! he misunderstood the meaning of th

ood, I only wish it were-though I do

ade of by coming, as he had said he would, to the Grange, where Mrs. Kem