allowed any man to bully her; or perhaps, it would be more nearly just to
say that she never intended to allow any man to do so until she herself
became persuaded that he could, and with this object she always made the
process look as difficult and dangerous as possible at the very
beginning.

She looked back at him and smiled with irritating calm.

"I shall be just as long as is necessary," she replied, and so saying,
she turned, or rather attempted to turn, the key.

But disuse, or cold, or her own lack of strength prevented and she was
presently reduced to asking Riatt to help her. He did not volunteer his
assistance. She had definitely and directly to ask for it. Then he was
friendliness itself.

"Just stand by the horse's head, will you?" he said, and when he saw
her stationed there, he sprang out, and with an almost insulting ease
opened the door.

Just as he did so, however, a gust of wind, fiercer than any other, swept
round the corner of the house and carried away Christine's hat. She made
a quick gesture to catch it, and as she did so, struck the horse under
the chin. The animal reared, and Christine jumped aside to avoid being
struck by its hoofs; the next instant, it had thrown its head in the air,
and started at full speed down the road, dragging the empty sleigh after
it. Riatt, who had his back turned, did not see the beginning of the
incident, but a cry from Christine soon roused his attention, and he
started in pursuit, calling to the animal to stop, in the hope that the
human voice might succeed when all other methods were quite obviously