‘Thanks. Yes, I’m afraid dear old Jack might feel a little sore if I were to tell him he bored you. But it mustn’t be allowed to occur again, Nora. I’ll take him out of the house more than I have done. He won’t worry you this afternoon, for we’re going to ride over to the Castle together and pay old Nettleton a visit. I want to get a brace of his pointers if he will part with them. We mean to be home to dinner; but if we’re a little late, don’t wait for us.’ ‘Very well,’ said Nora brightly. She was glad to think she would be relieved from her _bête noir_ for the afternoon at all events. The earl stooped and kissed her, and ran downstairs. Nora would have liked to return that kiss, but as she was about to do it, she suddenly felt shy and drew back again. Women are so generally accredited with changing their minds, that when they do so, they don’t like to confess the truth. But she waved her hand gaily as Lord Ilfracombe left the room, and sent him off on his expedition happy and contented. The afternoon passed quietly away; nothing unusual occurred until the ladies had assembled in the drawing-room, preparatory to dinner being served. ‘Ilfracombe particularly requested that we should not wait if he were late,’ said Nora to her mother-in-law; ‘so I think we had better not do so. I fancy he had some idea that Mr Nettleton might press them to dine at the Castle--any way that was what he said to me.’ ‘I would give them ten minutes’ grace, my dear,’ replied the dowager; ‘the roads are very bad to-day, and they may not reach home as soon as they anticipated. It is so uncomfortable to come in just as the soup has been removed. Besides, they must change their clothes before dining.’ ‘Yes, you are right,’ replied Nora, glancing at the clock on the mantelpiece, ‘it is a quarter to seven now. I will ring and tell Warrender to put off dinner till half-past. Shall I?’ ‘Yes, my dear, do,’ the old lady was saying, just as Warrender entered the room unceremoniously, and with an air of decided perturbation. ‘What is the matter?’ cried Nora hurriedly, for she saw at once he was the bearer of news. ‘What has occurred? Why do you look like that?’ ‘Oh, my lady!’ exclaimed the servant, ‘nothing, I hope--your ladyship mustn’t be alarmed, but I thought it right you should hear that--that--’ ‘That--_what_? For God’s sake, speak!’ cried Nora impetuously. ‘It is folly to keep us in such suspense.’ ‘Well, my lady, Johnson, he has just come up from the stables to say that the Black Prince--his lordship’s horse, you know, my lady--ran into the yard a few minutes back, without--without his lordship, my lady!’ ‘Thrown!’ exclaimed Lady Laura shrilly. ‘Without Lord Ilfracombe?’ queried Lady Blanche; ‘but where, then, is Mr Portland?’ ‘Oh, heavens, my poor son! He may be lying dead in the road at this moment,’ said the dowager, wringing her hands.