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"Miss Trefoil," said the lord, "let us have it all out at once. Are you taking Goarly's part?" "Taking Goarly's part!" ejaculated the Major. Arabella affected to give a little start, as though frightened by the Major's enthusiasm. "For heaven's. sake let us know our foes," continued Lord Rufford. "You see the effect such an announcement had upon Major Caneback.
The only other gentleman there was Major Caneback, who had just come in from hunting with some distant pack and who had been brought into the room by Lord Rufford that he might give some account of the doings of the day.
"I never like to talk about any pleasure because it always vanishes as soon as it has come; and when it has been real pleasure it never comes back again. I don't think I ever enjoyed anything so much as our ride this morning, till that tragedy came." "Poor Caneback!" "I suppose there is no hope?" He shook his head. "And we must go on to those Gores to-morrow without knowing anything about it.
According to Caneback, they had been talking in the Brake country about nothing but Goarly and the enormities which had been perpetrated to the U.R.U. "By-the-bye, Miss Trefoil," said Lord Rufford, "what have you done with your Senator?" "He's on the road, Lord Rufford, examining English institutions as he comes along. He'll be here by midnight."
This was the celebrated Major Caneback, known to all the world as one of the dullest men and best riders across country that England had ever produced. But he was not so dull but that he knew how to make use of his accomplishment, so as always to be able to get a mount on a friend's horses.
Marriage altogether was a bore; but having a name and a large fortune, it was incumbent on him to transmit them to an immediate descendant. And perhaps it was a worse bore to grow old without having specially bound any other human being to his interests. "How well I recollect that spot," said Miss Penge. "It was there that Major Caneback took the fence." "That was not where he fell"
"What good would it do, you know?" she said with affected intimacy as he spoke of his difficulty about the ball. "One would do anything if one could be of service, but that would do nothing." She felt completely that her presence at the accident had given her a right to have peculiar conversations and to be consulted about everything. Of course she was very sorry for Major Caneback.
"If you could possibly know," she said, "the condition I am in." "What condition?" "I know that I can trust you." "Oh dear, yes. If you mean about telling, I never tell anything." "That's what I do mean. You remember that man at your place?" "What man? Poor Caneback?" "Oh dear no! I wish they could change places because then he could give me no more trouble."
"Mamma knows nothing about it, Lord Rufford. I believe I could do just as well as Major Caneback." "She never had a lady on her in her life," said Sir John. "Then it's time for her to begin. But at any rate I must have some breakfast first" Then Lord Rufford brought her a cup of tea and Sir John gave her a cutlet, and she felt herself to be happy.
To the list of those who rode well and quietly must in justice be added our friend Larry Twentyman, who was in truth a good horseman. And he had three things to do which it was difficult enough to combine. He had a young horse which he would have liked to sell; he had to coach Kate Masters on his pony; and he desired to ride like Major Caneback.
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