"That horse frightens me out of my wits," said Miss Harrison. "I have been jumping out of the saddle half the time, since I came out. Sometimes he'll go very quietly--as nice as anybody--and then he'll play such a caper as he did then. That was just because Julius came up alongside of him. He had been going beautifully this last mile. I wish he'd have nothing to do with such a creature!" "I suppose he's very pleasant to ride," said Faith eying the creature. Perhaps Stranger--with his full, wild eyes, took note of this look of partial favour, for he backed a little from the doctor, and came dancing round by Faith, and there danced along at her side for a few minutes; evidently in an excited state of mind. His rider meanwhile, gave Faith a quiet word of admonition about keeping so loose a rein, and asked, in the same half undertone, if she felt tired? "O no!" Faith said with a look of thanks and pleasure. "That piece of care I must trust in your hands--don't forget that I _do_ so trust it. How would you like to cross Quapaw creek on this piece of quicksilver?" "I don't think you'd like to have me!" Faith said very decidedly. "I never saw anything so beautiful, quite, Mr. Linden--that I recollect at this minute," she added smiling. "I want to dance with you to-day--more than I ever did before," he answered, smiling too. "Miss Faith, if you have not yet said the 'few sensible words,' or if you have any left, won't you please say them to me?" "That question comes like a constable upon all my sense," said Faith laughing, "and it feels as I suppose a man does when he is clapped on the shoulder." "But then the man cannot run away, you know." "Nor my sense don't," said Faith,--"that I know of,--but it feels as if it hadn't possession of itself, Mr. Linden." "Well see if it is equal to this demand--What would be the consequences if you and I were to start off and scour the country 'on our own hook,' as people say?" "I think 'our hook' would draw two people after us," said Faith, looking very much amused and a little afraid of being overheard. "That is a melancholy fact! And my self-indulgence needs to be kept in check. Miss Faith," he said dropping his voice still more, "Stranger regrets very much that he must now go through that figure of the cotillion called 'Ladies change'!" And with a low and laughing bow, Mr. Linden reined back his horse and returned to his former place with all the soberness that circumstances allowed. There was no soberness whatever in the face with which Faith recommenced her tête-à-tête with Miss Harrison. The doctor was perfectly in order. "I have been thinking," he said, "since my question of how the world went with you, what a very insignificant thing, as to extent, '_the world_' of any one person is." "Compared with the universe," said Mr. Linden.