‘So far as we can see he is going to win Miss Fairley,’ I continued. ‘As Miss Gaiety says she’s a dear, I think we ought to prevent it.’ “‘Very pretty,’ says the grey; ‘but, may I ask, who is to interfere and put the hobbles on him?’ “‘We are to tell her he’s cruel.’ “‘She won’t understand us, if we tell her till doomsday. These humans are so stupid!’ growled Sagitta. “‘That’s where my idea comes in,’ I bragged—a little airily, it is to be feared. ‘We can’t, of course, tell it to her in words, but we can act it.’ “‘Eh?’ exclaimed the filly, with a sudden look of intelligence. “‘Not possible,’ snorted the big grey. “‘I see,’ cried the mare, her woman’s wits grasping the whole thing in a flash, and in her delight she kicked up her hind legs in the most graceful manner. “‘Heyday!’ exclaimed the grey, using our favourite expletive. “It didn’t take me long to explain to him and Sagitta, and they entered into the scheme eagerly. We were so hot to begin on it that we pawed the road all into holes in our impatience. “Presently out came the three, and then the fun began. Mr. Lewis stepped forward to mount Felicia, and at once Miss Gaiety backed away, snorting. Then the groom left us, and tried to hold her; but not a bit of it; every time Mr. Lewis tried to approach she’d get wild. “Finally my Major joined in by walking over to help, and the mare at once put her head round and rubbed it against him, and stood as quiet as a mouse. So he says: ‘I’ve only my left arm, Miss Fairley, but I think we can manage it;’ and the next moment she was in the saddle. “Lewis was pretty angry-looking as he went toward his own horse; and when he, too, began to back and snort and shiver, he didn’t look any better, you may be sure of that. You ought to have seen it! The brute caught him by the bridle, and then the grey kept backing away or dodging from him. Out on the lawn they went, cutting it up badly, then into Miss Fairley’s pet bed of roses, then smashing into the shrubberies. I never saw better acting. Any one would have sworn the horse was half dead with fright. “It didn’t take very much of this to make Lewis lose all self control. “‘You cursed mule!’ he raved, his face white with passion; ‘if I had a decent whip, I’d cut the heart out of you!’ And suiting the action to the thought he struck the grey between the eyes with his crop a succession of violent blows, until, in his fury, he broke the stick. Then he clenched his fist and struck Solitaire on the nose, and would have done so a second time if Miss Fairley hadn’t spoken.