They rounded a curve and came upon the gate that led into the field. The galloping hoofs were close to them. As they reached the corner two riders flashed past at full speed. One of them--Bunny--lay on his horse's neck, yelling wild encouragement to his mount. The other,--a slight, childish figure--was kneeling on the saddle like a small, crouching creature, perfectly poised and wholly unafraid. As the horse that carried her dropped to a canter on the hill, she got to her feet with absolute ease, and stood, arms out and swaying to the animal's motion, till, as they rounded another curve, she dropped to the saddle again, and passed from sight, following in Bunny's tracks. "Quite a pretty exhibition!" remarked Saltash. "Where is Jake?" Jake himself appeared at the moment riding soberly, mounted on his favourite horse, The Hundredth Chance. He greeted Saltash with a smile and jumped to the ground to join them at the gate. "They'll be round again directly. Just riding off their spirits," he explained in his easy drawl. "You motored over, my lord?" Saltash nodded with a touch of impatience. He was watching with restless eyes for the reappearance of the girl on horseback. She had not seen him at the gate, yet somehow his arrogance rebelled at the fact that she had passed him by. Jake stood with The Hundredth Chance nuzzling against him. He did not trouble himself to make conversation; that was not his way. He also waited for the reappearance of the riders. They came, riding side by side and jesting with careless _camaraderie_. Toby's face was delicately flushed. The fair head had no covering. She was dressed and looked exactly like a boy. At sight of Saltash standing by the gate her whole attitude changed. She uttered a queer sound, half-whoop, half-sob, and flung herself out of the saddle. In a moment she had reached him, was hanging to his arm in mute greeting, everything else in the world forgotten. It was pathetically like the re-union of a lost dog to its master. Saltash's ugly face softened miraculously at her action. The jest died on his lips. "Why, Nonette!" he said. "Nonette!" She strangled another sob. Her face was burning, quivering, appealing, no longer the face of a boy. "I thought you'd forgotten to come," she said. "What? Was I expected to lunch?" said Saltash. "Ah! Was that why you wouldn't go to church?" Toby looked up, desperately smiling. "It may have been--partly. But I never do go. Do you?" "Not often," said Saltash. "I might if I stayed here. There's no knowing. You'll be pleased to hear your daddy is better. He's coming down to the Castle to convalesce. And when he's done that, I'm going to have a party--a coming-out party--for you." "For me!" Toby gasped, staring at him with scared blue eyes. "I hope you won't, sir," she said.