She crossed to the window and drew aside the curtain. The coach was waiting, and beside it were Mr. Paca and Mr. Worthington and Captain Herford. She went back to the glass, took another survey, dabbed a bit of powder, here and there, on her face, smiled at her reflection, and turned away. It was race day, in Annapolis. The Governor was ascending the stairs, as she came out of her room; when he reached the landing, he stopped and looked at her. She made him a bit of a curtsy. "Will I do?" she asked. "Yes, you will do," he said; "even I can see that. I am sorry for the macaronies down in front." "They do not deserve any sympathy." "I suppose not," he said; "at least, they do not get much from you. You may take the coach; I shall ride to the course--and do not wait for me. They are sufficient to escort you." She gave him a bright smile, and went down and out to the coach. "Good afternoon!" she said, as they sprang forward to meet her.--"No; we will dispense with anything but a bow." They all tried to hand her in, but she waved them aside. "I cannot choose, so I will let the footman do his office." The young men leaped to horse. There were but two windows to the coach and three men, and Mr. Paca and Mr. Worthington got the places beside them, leaving Captain Herford to ride behind, and sulk. "You are a dream, a perfect vision!" said Mr. Paca. "An angel, rather!" Mr. Worthington assured her. "Why not be sensible, and tell the truth. Why not say, I am looking very well, to-day; that would be the truth, more than that is rank exaggeration. One of you let Captain Herford come up; I want to hear what he will say.... Do you hear? I said, one of you give place to Captain Herford." "Paca, you hear?" said Worthington. "Worthington, you hear?" said Paca. Miss Stirling laughed. "Meanwhile, Captain Herford rides behind." "And is likely to ride behind to the race ground," said Worthington. "And should ride behind forever, if we controlled it," added Mr. Paca. They proceeded out of the Governor's grounds, and along King George Street, to the Ogle corner at Tabernacle Street. Here, the coach was before the door, and Mrs. Ogle and Miss Elizabeth were just about to enter. Miss Stirling waved her hand, and called a greeting, while the young men doffed their hats. The Ogles answered, and then their equipage joined the procession. Arrived at the Course, and occupying the place reserved for the Governor, Miss Stirling was astonished at what she saw. Here was no ordinary gathering, of Annapolitans and their neighbors. Instead, a vast concourse of people, with more than fifteen hundred horses hitched around the track, and not less than one hundred coaches parked within the enclosure. "Why," she said, "I had no notion it was anything such as this. I thought it would be like the small affairs in England. This rivals Carlisle, itself."