down over a three-legged stool, and conjured
with a mysterious bridle and a skewer, that
presided over pieces of coarse oil-cloth daubed
with very raw colours and a very yellow Royal
Crown, and a very rusted weather-cock that
moved round languidly. A miscellany that did
a vast business in nuts at little shooting-targets,
whose range was only three feet long; a
miscellany, in short, who danced and contorted in
dirty fleshings, who picked pockets, who sold
cards, lit cigars, sang mournful comic songs, wore
decayed old scarlet hunting-coats, and swarmed
generally, in and out, in irregular streams, through
the cars and carriages.

The large nurseryman's flower-stand was black
with human flower-pots. Below the flower-stand
was the enclosure, where every one was as busy as
in a market where there was a sort of enlarged
rabbit-hutch, and where there was something that
looked like a mammoth slate hoisted at the top of
a pole. The human flower-pots, growing animated
at times, came down here to market, and wore
little yellow tickets in their hats, and pushed
backwards and forwards, and talked hoarsely and
loudly, and all together, to stray men upon horse-
back, who carried their hunting-whips on their
knees at an acute angle, much as the bronze
mounted Louises do their truncheons. Beyond
this was a plantation of carriages, carts, and
cabs, all horseless, and put closely together
like a gigantic barricade; and here, in a little
chartered phaeton, were the Manuel family,
broken from their privacy, amused, delighted,
and wondering exceedingly. That is, the two
girls merely. But Mrs. Manuel had sat in a vast
stone amphitheatre, and had seen the wild plungings
of the bull, and the gored horses, and the
sand steeped in clotted blood, and stayed at
home. This gentler spectacle seemed a little tame
after that.

With them was a new figure, about whom
neighbouring carts and carriages began to speculate;
but who was soon known to be a brother,
a swarthy meditative brother, very young, and
with rich black hair, so glossy that it looked
as if it had been steeped in unguents. He
was only twenty, but looked about him with a
grave air of wisdom. In that little phaeton,
however, reigned a certain flutter. There was to
be battle and danger, which is the true basis of
excitement, and a likely victory.

Some small skirmishing had been got through,
worthless contests between say two inglorious
steeds, mere foils for the greater struggle fixed
for one o'clock. Hanbury had come up to them,
his face all one great flush. "Only an hour
off," he said. "You never saw anything like the
Baron this morning—as bright and glossy as
silk—you could see yourself in his coat. He will
do, I think," he added. "I have not seen King
Brian. But I am not afraid of him."

The sun flashed upon the face of the eldest
Miss Manuel. "And that discreet Captain Fermor!
I hope he is here to see you win."

"O!" said Hanbury, ever so little
embarrassed, "I didn't tell you, though—you haven't
heard—he is to ride King Brian."

"To ride King Brian!" said the two girls
together, but in quite different keys.

"Why not?" said Hanbury, doubtfully. "And
yet I'm sure I don't quite understand it. And
he will do it well—at least, I suppose so," he
added.

"But you told us," said Violet, "I think, that
—that no one but his master could ride him."

"Exactly," said he. "And they say it is great
pluck to try it. But it now turns out that he is
a great horseman, or something of the kind. I
don't understand it."

A harsh and conspicuous bell, which had
grown up in the night, and rang every five
minutes in a drunken disorderly way, now began
again. "I must go," said Hanbury. "Saddling
bell." If so, it had been about the twentieth
saddling bell.

"Vanity," said Miss Manuel, looking at her
sister. "More of that vanity! He is one mass
of it. This is all to show us what an accomplished
creature he is."

The younger girl cast down her eyes. "I am
afraid," she said, "it will be a dreadful thing to
see. Do you think there will be danger?"

"And poor Hanbury," said her sister,
reproachfully. "You let him go without a word
of comfort or encouragement. I saw him
looking at you so. I should have given him one of
those red geraniums, as they do in Spain. It
would have comforted his heart and given him
courage. He will want every stimulant for
what he has to go through. See, he is looking
this way. We must call him back. Ah!"

It was Fermor passing them quite close—in a
great-coat like a dressing-gown—calm, tranquil,
as if going to a ball. He bowed to them in most
courtly fashion. Miss Manuel stamped on the
bottom of the carriage with impatience. "He is
coming to practise his skill on us," she thought.
But with his pleasant smile he passed on.

Hanbury, a few yards away, had stopped doubtingly
when he saw Fermor approaching; for
he had all the wonderfully long sight of ardent
and sensitive love. But when Fermor passed
by so indifferently, his rude broad honest heart
was struck. He thought of the other's calm
courage, and skill, and training in society,
and of his own natural bluntness, which had
really reached to surliness; and one of his most
genial smiles was spreading over his face. He
was ashamed of his little petty jealousy. But
as he was getting his hand ready to stretch out,
he saw Fermor turn back, and go up to the
carriage. The younger girl was detaching a
flower from others which she had in her hand;
she held also a large black fan. Some, therefore,
had dropped on the seat. Hanbury, colouring
and watching with fierce wariness, just saw
Captain Fermor making a sweet speech, and putting
a red flower in his button-hole. In reality
he had helped himself, and was saying, "I must
carry off one of these. Just going to ask you.