“Oh, yes. But I had rather not.”
“She’ll be sure to come. And, Bella,
Jack must be yours now.”
“You are joking.”
“Never more serious in my life. Of course
he must remain with me just at present, but he is
your horse.” Then, as the carriage was
stopping, she took his hand and kissed it.
She got to her room as quickly as possible; and then,
before she had even taken off her hat, she sat down
to think of it all,— sending her maid away
meanwhile to fetch her a cup of tea. He must
have meant it for an offer. There had at any rate
been enough to justify her in so taking it. The
present he had made to her of the horse could mean
nothing else. Under no other circumstances would
it be possible that she should either take the horse
or use him. Certainly it was an offer, and as
such she would instruct her uncle to use it.
Then she allowed her imagination to revel in thoughts
of Rufford Hall, of the Rufford house in town, and
a final end to all those weary labours which she would
thus have brought to so glorious a termination.
Lord Rufford wants to see a Horse
Lord Rufford had been quite right about the Duchess.
Arabella had only taken off her hat and was drinking
her tea when the Duchess came up to her. “Lord
Rufford says that you were too tired to come in,”
said the Duchess.
“I am tired, aunt;—very tired.
But there is nothing the matter with me. We had
to ride ever so far coming home and it was that knocked
up.
“It was very bad, your in a post chaise, Arabella.”
“Why was it bad, aunt? I thought it very
nice.”
“My dear, it shouldn’t have been done.
You ought to have known that. I certainly wouldn’t
have had you here had I thought that there would be
anything of the kind.”
“It is going to be all right,” said Arabella
laughing.
According to her Grace’s view of things it was
not and could not be made “all right.”
It would not have been all right were the girl to
become Lady Rufford to-morrow. The scandal, or
loud reproach due to evil doings, may be silenced
by subsequent conduct. The merited punishment
may not come visibly. But nothing happening after
could make it right that a young lady should come
home from hunting in a post chaise alone with a young
unmarried man. When the Duchess first heard it
she thought what would have been her feelings if such
a thing had been suggested in reference to one of her
own daughters! Lord Rufford had come to her in
the drawing-room and had told her the story in a quiet
pleasant manner,—merely saying that Miss
Trefoil was too much fatigued to show herself at the
present moment. She had thought from his manner
that her niece’s story had been true. There
was a cordiality and apparent earnestness as to the
girl’s comfort which seemed to be compatible
with the story. But still she could hardly understand
