But she had really reason to be grateful to Herbert. One day, when he was on guard upon the Upper Road, Mrs. Cavendish-Diggle, followed by her groom, passed on their way towards the town. Something startled Letitia’s horse, and, although an excellent rider, she found he was more than she could manage. After passaging like a crab along the road for some hundred yards, he took to plunging and rearing in a way to dislodge the most accomplished horse-woman from her seat. The groom had ridden up alongside, but he was able to render little assistance, and his best efforts only made Letitia’s horse worse. Had not Herbert promptly supervened, Mrs. Diggle would undoubtedly have been thrown, and probably badly hurt. But with firm hand on the rein he soon mastered the horse, then gradually pacified him. ‘I’m sure, sergeant, I’m extremely obliged to you,’ said Mrs. Cavendish, directly she recovered her breath. ‘What is your name? I must speak of you specially to the Colonel--Colonel Diggle--you know me, I presume? and I see you belong to “us.”’ ‘Herbert Larkins, Madam, F company,’ said our hero briefly, as he saluted. ‘Thank you again, so much.’ And with that the Colonel’s wife rode off. She did speak of him and his conduct in the most glowing terms. ‘You must do something for him, Conrad.’ ‘Certainly, I’ll make him a present; or, better still, you shall--a watch, or a pencil-case, or something.’ ‘No, no; something in the regiment, I mean. Promote him.’ ‘He’s very young. Barely a year a sergeant. I don’t see my way, I don’t indeed.’ ‘There are those vacant colours in G company,’ she said, displaying a curiously intimate acquaintance with regimental news. ‘Colour-sergeant! Impossible!’ ‘Surely not, when I ask it.’ ‘It would be grossly unfair. Promotions must not go by favour.’ ‘Kissing does,’ she replied, as though he might expect no such reward unless he were more obliging. It was just possible that by this time Diggle could have deprived himself of the pleasure without any acute pang. ‘What would Mr. Wheeler say?’ ‘That’s where it is. You think far more of displeasing Mr. Wheeler than of pleasing me. I feel hurt, Conrad; it’s not what I have a right to expect, considering--’ When she got on this tack the Colonel threw up the sponge. He gave in about the promotion, although the adjutant, thereby making Letitia his enemy for life, tried hard to keep him up to the mark.