"Surely," said I, "we are all in the same boat. What reasons can you have, other than those you have given us, for trusting your conclusion as to the friendliness of the Universe?" "You forget," he said. "In addition to the reasons I have given you, I have all those which induce me to trust my life to Ethelberta." "But how do they affect your philosophy?" "They affect it vitally." "In the way of confirmation or otherwise?" "Confirmation." "You mean that your philosophy is already conclusively proved, and yet made more conclusive by Ethelberta?" "Put it that way, if you like." "Is there no hope," I asked, "that you will be able one day to communicate the reasons to _us_?" "None," he answered. "But what I can do, and will do, if I live long enough, is to show that all of you are acting much as I am acting in regard to Ethelberta." "But we are not all risking our lives on thoroughbred horses." "You are running far bigger risks than that," he said; "and you are fools not to see it. Did I not tell you that I am revising my lectures?" "Scattergood," I said, "it's plain to me that you will have to do one of two things. Either you must radically change your system--or you must sell Ethelberta. Personally, I hope you'll do the last." "In any case," he replied, "I shall not sell Ethelberta." "Then," said I, "may the friendly Universe preserve you from being killed." And with that I took my departure. IV That very afternoon, Professor Scattergood, arrayed in a pair of goodly riding-boots, went round to the stables to mount his mare. The groom met him as usual. "She's been wonderful restless all night, sir," said he. "She's broke her halter and a'most kicked the door out. And she's bitin' as though she'd just been married to the devil's son." "She wants exercise," said Scattergood. "Put the saddle on at once." "Not me, sir!" answered the groom. "It's as much as a man's life's worth to go near her." "Bring me the saddle, then, and I'll do it myself," said Scattergood. He opened the door of the stable, and the moment the light was let in Ethelberta announced her intentions by a smashing kick on the wooden partition. "Have a care, sir," cried the terrified groom, as Scattergood, with the saddle on his arm, passed through the door. "She'll give you no time to say yer prayers. Look out, sir! She'll whip round on you like a bit o' sin and put her heel through you before you know where you are. Good Lord!" he added, addressing another man, "it's a _hexecution_! The gen'l'man'll be in heaven in less than half a minute." "Ethelberta, Ethelberta, what's the meaning of all this?" said Scattergood in a quiet voice, as he faced the animal's blazing eyes. "Come, come, sweetheart, let us behave for once like rational beings." And he put his arm round Ethelberta's neck and rubbed his cheek against her nose. In five minutes the saddle was on, and Scattergood, seated on as quiet a beast as ever submitted to bridle, was riding down the stable-yard.