"Never ride?--oh! I am fond of horses!" cried Flora, "and a gallop along a delightful long road like this--why, it's almost as good as flying. Will you try?--I am quite sure you are not timid, cousin. Oh, do let Mr. Southcote find a horse for you and try to-morrow. But, oh, I forgot!" she said with a sudden blush, which brought a still deeper color to my cheek, as she glanced at me, "perhaps it would not be right for you." There was a pause of momentary embarrassment, and Flora greatly distressed I could perceive, thinking she had annoyed me. At that moment, some children from the school at Cottisbourne passed us, going home, and made their clumsy bows and curtseys, which I only acknowledged very slightly as we went on. Flora, for her part, cast a wistful glance after the little rustics. "Will you not speak to them, cousin?" she asked with a little surprise--"have they not been good children?--I should so like you to see our school at Ennerdale. I always go there every day, and I am very fond of them. They are tidy pleasant children; and I believe, though it looks so vain to say it," said Flora, breaking off with a laugh, "that they all like me." "I should not fancy that was so very extraordinary either," said I; "other people do that, I suppose, besides the children at Ennerdale." "Yes, everybody is very good to me," said Flora, with a quiet seriousness; "but then, you know, cousin, I have sometimes to _punish_ the children as well as to praise them. How do you do here? I am sure you know a great deal better how to manage than I do. Do you forgive them when they seem sorry, or do you keep up looking displeased at them? Mamma says I spoil them, because I only look angry for a moment; but you know I never am really angry, I only pretend, because it's right." "Indeed, Flora, I do not know. I never visit the school; I have had so little to do with children," I answered hastily. Once more Flora cast an annoyed glance at me. This was more wonderful still than never riding--I began to grow quite a puzzler to Flora. "Mamma has so many things to do, she seldom gets any time to help me," continued the girl, rallying a little after a pause. "Do you know, cousin, mamma is a perfect Lady Bountiful; she is always busy about something--and when people tell her of it, she only laughs and says it is no credit to her--for she does it all for pleasure. Don't you think it is very silly for people to praise ladies like mamma, or to find fault with them either? She is only kind to the village people because she likes to see them pleased and getting on well; and we all like company, cousin Hester, and we know the village people best and longest, and they are our nearest neighbors; and don't you think it is right to be kind to them? But the Miss Oldhams, at Stockport House, say we are undermining their independence, and condescending to the poor." "I am sure your mamma must be quite right, Flora--but here comes some rain--I think we must go home," said I.