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He limped over to the trench in which the men were now busily firing off their rifles and waved a riding-crop he carried at the trench they had abandoned. He was standing as Crane had been standing, in silhouette against the sky-line. "Come back, boys," we heard him shouting. "The other men can't withdraw, and so you mustn't. It looks bad. Come on, get out of that!"
The Rector looked across with a puzzled frown. Leicester laughed again: and with that, Miss Belcher came back to him, slipped out the riding-crop which trussed him, and held it under his nose. Her face was white, but calm. She lifted the stick slowly to bring it across his face, paused, and flung it on the floor. "You tempt me to be as dirty as yourself," she said.
"I do not need to be shown the way in a house where I have drunk many a bottle of good claret," cried a deep voice in reply; and there in the doorway stood the broad figure of Squire Ovington in his buckskins and top-boots, a riding-crop in his hand. Sir Lothian Hume was at his elbow, and I saw the faces of two country constables peeping over his shoulders.
She saw his right arm go up, and heard his riding-crop descend with a sound like a pistol-shot upon Piers' shoulders. It was a horrible sight and one which she was never to forget.
All the while his eyes were staring intently, but with the intentness of extreme fear, not at the despatch-box but at the space of carpet a couple of feet at the most between the despatch-box and the tent-wall. His fingers felt along the ledge of the bureau and closed with a silent grip upon the handle of the riding-crop.
"Shepherd fair and maidens all Truly rural, Too-ri-looral, Man prefers his maidens plural; One is none, he wants them all! Too-ri-looral! Too-ri-looral " And he sauntered off humming gaily, making playful passes at the trees with his riding-crop as he passed. Later he aided his wife to mount and stood looking after her as she rode away, Portlaw pounding along heavily beside her.
She stepped down from the alcove, wound the grey veil round the riding-crop and tossed them into a corner. Somehow, in the daylight, the magic was gone from his face, for she had recognized him that first day in the park. He rode well. She knew that his interest in her had been only casual. She touched a bell. A maid appeared. "Signora?"
Rising a little in her stirrups, her riding-crop uplifted to emphasize her burning words, her cheeks on fire, her eyes shining, her hair blowing under her three-cornered hat, she had clearly and crisply challenged the patriotism of the speaker, and she had presented to Ralph's appreciative eyes a picture which he was never to forget.
Lance ignored his untimely flippancy. "Have you ever ... happened to mention ... your mother?" "Not yet. Why ?" The question startled him. "It occurred to me. I merely wondered " "Well, of course, I shall to-night." Lance nodded, pensively fingered his riding-crop, and remarked, "D'you imagine now she's going to let you bury yourself up Gilgit way with me?
And I lost my chance to tell him how much I cared." The riding-crop lay neglected on the floor. It had slipped and clattered down while Barbara sat and stared at the tiny woman who was dabbing at her eyes with a very girlish square of linen. And then slowly Barbara rose and took an uncertain step or two. She sank to her knees and pillowed her head upon Miss Sarah's lap.
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