him stretched on the roadside, plucking handfuls of grass, and
digging up the turf with his fingers, thus, and thus alone,
betraying that he suffered. Mr. Heywood at first refrained from any
offer of hospitality, believing he would be more inclined to accept
it after he had proved the difficulty of riding, in which case a
previous refusal might stand in the way. But although a slight groan
escaped as they lifted him to the saddle, he gathered up the reins
at once, and sat erect while they shortened the stirrup-leathers.
Lady seemed to know what was required of her, and stood as still as
a vaulting horse until Richard took the bridle to lead her away.

'I see!' said Scudamore; 'you can't trust me with your horse!'

'Not so, sir,' answered Mr. Heywood. 'We cannot trust the horse with
you. It is quite impossible for you to ride so far alone. If you
will go, you must submit to the attendance of my son, on which I am
sorry to think you have so good a claim. But will you not yet change
your mind and be our guest--for the night at least? We will send a
messenger to the castle at earliest dawn.'

Scudamore declined the invitation, but with perfect courtesy, for
there was that about Roger Heywood which rendered it impossible for
any man who was himself a gentleman, whatever his judgment of him
might be, to show him disrespect. And the moment the mare began to
move, he felt no further inclination to object to Richard's company
at her head, for he perceived that, should she prove in the least
troublesome, it would be impossible for him to keep his seat. He did
not suffer so much, however, as to lose all his good spirits, or
fail in his part of a conversation composed chiefly of what we now
call chaff, both of them for a time avoiding all such topics as