Ayala’s Angel II

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On the day fixed Ayala went down to Stalham. A few days before she started there came to her a letter, or rather an en­velope, from her uncle Sir Thomas, enclosing a cheque for £20. The Tringle women had heard that Ayala had been asked to Stalham, and had mentioned the visit disparagingly before Sir Thomas. “I think it very wrong of my poor brother,” said Lady Tringle. “She can’t have a shilling even to get herself gloves.” This had an effect which had not been intended, and Sir Thomas sent the cheque for £20. Then Ayala felt not only that the heavens were opened to her but that the sweetest zephyrs were blowing her on upon her course. Thoughts as to gloves had disturbed her, and as to some shoes which were want­ing, and especially as to a pretty hat for winter wear. Now she could get hat and shoes and gloves, and pay her fare, and go down to Stalham with money in her pocket. Before going she wrote a very pretty note to her Uncle Tom.

On her arrival she was made much of by everyone. Lady Albury called her the caged bird, and congratulated her on her escape from the bars. Sir Harry asked her whether she could ride to hounds. Nina gave her a thousand kisses. But per-

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haps her greatest delight was in finding that Jonathan Stubbs was at Albury. She had become so intimate with the Colonel that she regarded him quite like an old friend; and when a girl has a male friend, though he may be much less loved, or not loved at all, he is always more pleasant, or at any rate more piquant, than a female friend. As for love with Colonel Stubbs that was quite out of the question. She was sure that he would never fall in love with herself. His manner to her was altogeth­er unlike that of a lover. A lover would be smooth, soft, poetic, and flattering. He was always a little rough to her, — sometimes almost scolding her. But then he scolded her as she liked to be scolded, — with a dash of fun and a greatly predominating ad­mixture of good-nature. He was like a bear, — but a bear who would always behave himself pleasantly. She was delighted when Colonel Stubbs congratulated her on her escape from Kingsbury Crescent, and felt that he was justified by his in­timacy when he called Mrs. Dosett a mollified she-Cerberus.

the hope that a horse might be lent to her. She had told herself that it was out of the question, and had declared to herself that she was too thankful for her visit to allow any regret on such a matter to cross her mind. But when the Colonel spoke of his team there was something of a pang. How she would have liked to be one of such a team!

“It is riding, — of course. Now the Marchesa is not here, we mean to call it hunting in a mild way.”

“I can’t,” she said.

“But you’ve got to do it, Miss Dormer.”

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“Ah,” said the Colonel; “I don’t know anything about that. I should say that Nina must have managed that. The horse department was left to me, and I have done my part. You will find that you will have to go out next Tuesday and Friday. The hounds will be here on Tuesday, and they will be at Rufford on Friday. Rufford is only nine miles from here, and it’s all settled.”

Before the day was over the difficulty had vanished. Miss Albury’s horse was not only called into requisition but Miss Albury’s habit also. Ayala had a little black hat of her own, which Lady Albury assured her would do excellently well for the hunting field. There was some fitting and some trying on, and perhaps a few moments of preliminary despair; but on the Tuesday morning she rode away from the hall door at elev­en o’clock mounted on Sprite, as the little horse was called, and felt herself from head to foot to be one of Colonel Stubbs’s team. When at Glenbogie she had ridden a little, and again in Italy, and, being fearless by nature, had no trepidation to im­pair the fulness of her delight.

portunity for great glory. Till it was time for lunch one fox after another ran about the big woods of Albury in a fashion that seemed perfect to the two girls, but which nearly broke the heart of old Tony, who was still huntsman to the Ufford and Rufford United Hunt. “Darm their nasty ways,” said Tony to Mr. Larry Twentyman, who was one of the popular habitues of the hunt; “they runs one a top of anothers brush­es, till there ain’t a ‘ound living knows t’other from which. There’s always a many on ‘em at Albury, but I never knew an Albury fox worth his grub yet.” But there was galloping along roads and through gates, and long strings of horsemen followed each other up and down the rides, and an easy com­ing back to the places from which they started, which made the girls think that the whole thing was divine. Once or twice there was a little bank, and once or twice a little ditch, — just sufficient to make Ayala feel that no possible fence would be a difficulty to Sprite. She soon learnt that mode of gov­erning her body which leaping requires, and when she was brought into lunch at about two she was sure that she could do anything which the art of hunting required. But at lunch an edict went forth as to the two girls, against further hunt­ing for that day. Nina strove to rebel, and Ayala attempted to be eloquent by a supplicating glance at the Colonel. But they were told that as the horses would be wanted again on Friday they had done enough. In truth, Tony had already trotted off with the hounds to Pringle’s Gorse, a distance of five miles, and the gentlemen who had lingered over their lunch had to follow him at their best pace. “Pringle’s Gorse is not just

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