Away go the big black horse and the dark iron-gray, side by side, flying over the purple moorland, Lady Jane holding her own well with her companion, let him tear and struggle as he may to shake her off. Now far away to the right looms dark the first obstacle, which Sir Charles points out with his whip, and at sight of which Mrs. Hammond rings out a merry little laugh. As they approach, it developes itself as a double line of posts and rails, good stiff oak timber, which must either be cleared or declined, through which there is no scrambling. Tambour Major sees it already, and rushes at it with a great snort of triumph, clearing it at a bound. Nor is the gray to be balked; scarcely has he alighted, foam-flecked and trembling, in the field beyond, than Lady Jane is by his side. "That's number one," said Sir Charles; "the next we shall find just at the end of--" but Mrs. Hammond laid her whip upon his arm. She had previously looked round and marked that they were far out of the range of observation by their late companions. "Quite enough," she said; "I am satisfied with Tambour Major's performances, and own I did him grievous injustice. From the manner in which he went at that, I am certain he could do anything. Besides," she added, bending forward and patting Lady Jane's neck with her pretty dogskin gauntlet, "I wanted to speak to you." "To me, Mrs. Hammond?" "Yes, to you--to you, alone. You are angry with me?" "I--angry? 'Pon my word I can assure you--I--" "Ah, don't deny it." Her voice dropped into its most musical and softest key. "Do you think I am not quick to read any change in your manner?" "No, but really--I haven't the least right to--" "The least right! I thought you had promised to be my friend,--my firm, steadfast, constant friend. Ah, if you knew how I have longed for such a friend,--one in whom I could confide, and who would advise me!" She dropped her head on her breast as she said this, and the red rays of the dying sun touched the tight braids of her chestnut hair with gold. "Such a friend you will find in me," said Mitford; "I meant it when I said it--I mean it now." "No," said Laura plaintively, "no; you have other ties and other claims upon you, and it must not be. The world cannot understand such confidence as I would give and receive; it is too pure and too earnest for worldly comprehension.--Already--but I won't speak of that." "Finish your sentence, please." "No, it was nothing, really nothing." "Then tell me, or I shall fancy it was something. Tell me." "How you compel me to obey you! I was going to say--it's excessively silly of me; very probably it was only my own foolish notion, but I'm so nervous and anxious about anything which concerns--my friends; I thought that Lady Mitford seemed a little annoyed at your obvious intention of riding with me this morning." She stole a look at him under her hat to see how he received this shot.