Such was the damsel whom Charley Banks had been despatched to capture by force, fraud, or persuasion for the use and benefit of Miss Augusta Neuchamp. A less suitable ambassador might have been selected. Charley Banks was a very good-looking young fellow, and had always risked a little badinage when brought into contact with Miss Tottie and her family. War had been formally declared between the houses of Neuchamp and Freeman, yet Ernest, as was his custom, had always been unaffectedly polite and kindly to the women of the tribe, young and old. Therefore Mrs. Freeman had no strong ill-feeling towards him, and Miss Tottie was extremely sorry that they never saw Mr. Neuchamp riding up to the door now, with a pleasant good-morrow, sometimes chatting for a quarter of an hour, when the old people were out of the way. When Charley Banks first asked Mrs. Freeman to let her daughter go as a great favour to Mr. Neuchamp, and afterwards inflamed Tottie’s curiosity by descriptions of the great wealth and high fashion of Miss Neuchamp (who had a dray-load of dresses, straight from London and Paris, coming up next week), he found the fort commencing to show signs of capitulation. At first Mrs. Freeman ‘couldn’t spare Tottie if it was ever so.’ Then Tottie ‘couldn’t think of going among a parcel of young fellows, and only one lady in the place.’ Then Mrs. Freeman ‘might be able to manage for a week or two, though what Abe would say when he came home and found his girl gone to Rainbar, she couldn’t say.’ Then Tottie ‘wouldn’t mind trying for a week or two.’ She supposed ‘nobody would run away with her, and it must be awfully lonely for the lady all by herself.’ Besides, ‘she hadn’t seen a soul lately, and was moped to death; perhaps a little change would do her good.’ So the ‘treaty of Rainbar,’ between the high contracting personages, resolved itself into this, that Tottie was to have ten shillings a week for a month’s service, if Miss Neuchamp stayed so long, was to obey all her lawful commands, and to make herself ‘generally useful.’ ‘So if you’ll be kind enough to run in the mare, Mr. Banks—she’s down on the flat there, and not very flash, you may be sure—I’ll get my habit on, and mother will send up my things with Billy in the evening. Here’s my bridle.’ Having stated the case thus briefly, Miss Freeman retired into a remarkably small bedroom which she shared with two younger sisters and a baby-brother, to make the requisite change of raiment, while Charley Banks ran into the stockyard and caught the varmint, ambling black mare, which he knew very well by sight. As he led her up to the hut Miss Tottie came out, carrying her saddle in one hand and holding up her alpaca habit with the other. She promptly placed it upon the black mare’s back, buckled the girths, and touching the stirrup with her foot, gave a spring which seated her firmly in the saddle, and the black mare dashed off at an amble which was considerably faster than a medium trot.