They had a famous gallop, but this
judicious rider neither urged the mare nor greatly checked her. She
moderated her. Black Bess came home that day sweating properly, but with
a marked diminution of lather and foam. Miss Clifford asked leave to ride
her into the stable-yard, and after dismounting talked to her, and patted
her, and praised her. An hour later the pertinacious beauty asked for a
carrot from the garden, and fed Black Bess with it in the stable.
By these arts, a very light hand, and tact in riding, she soothed Black
Bess's nerves, so that at last the very touch of her habit skirt, or her
hand, or the sound of her voice, seemed to soothe the poor nervous
creature; and at last one day in the stable Bess protruded her great lips
and kissed her fair rider on the shoulder after her manner.
All this interested and amused Walter Clifford, but still he was
beginning to chafe at being kept from Miss Bartley, when one morning her
servant rode over with a note.
"DEAR COUSIN WALTER,--Will you kindly send me back my opera glass?
I want to see what is going on at Clifford Hall.
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