As soon as we were in the wood, Redmond tied the bridles of the horses together with his handkerchief. It was so dark that my sight could not separate him from his horse. They moved beside me, a vague, black shape. The horses' feet fell without noise in the cool, moist sand. If our companions were near us, we could not see them, and we did not hear them. Horses generally keep an even pace, when travelling at night,--subdued by the darkness, perhaps,--and Folly went along without swaying an inch. I dropped the rein on his neck, and took hold of the pommel. My hand fell on Redmond's. Before I could take it away, he had clasped it, and touched it with his lips. The movement was so sudden that I half lost my balance, but the horses stepped evenly together. He threw his arm round me, and recoiled from me as if he had received a blow. "Take up your rein," he said, with a strange voice,--"quick!--we must ride fast out of this." I made no reply, for I was trying to untie the handkerchief. The knot was too firm. "No, no," he said, when he perceived what I was doing, "let it be so." "Untie it, Sir!" "I will not." I put my face down between the horses' necks and bit it apart, and thrust it into my bosom. "Now," I said, "shall we ride fast?" He shook his rein, and we rode fiercely,--past our party, who shouted at us,--through the wood,--over the brow of the great hill, from whose top we saw the dark, motionless sea,--through the long street,--and through my father's gateway into the stable-yard, where I leaped from my horse, and, bridle in hand, said, "Good night!" in a loud voice. Redmond swung his hat and galloped off. Early next morning, Laura sent me a note:-- "DEAR MARGARET,--I have an ague, and mean to have it till Sunday night. The pines did it. Did you bring home any needles? On Monday, mother will give one of her whist-parties. I shall add a dozen or two of our set; you will come. "P.S. What do you think of Mr. Harry Lothrop? Good young man, eh?"