Violet Jacob > Irresolute Catherine

A NIGHT OF STARS 51
tomed to the horse’s movements she sat more
upright, looking into the darkness. To her
eyes it was darkness positive, though to
her discarded but inalienable lover, with his
keen shepherd’s sight and his familiarity
with every rood of the ground in all aspects
and circumstances of weather, season, and
hour, it was only comparative. It struck
her that she would not have felt so secure
with Charles under like conditions, though
he considered himself a finer horseman and
though he was such a well-appointed figure
when he rode into the market-town on his
sleek hackney. She would hardly have been
a woman had the thought not given her
pleasure. They turned towards the hill as
the track opened into unconfined wideness.
They had spoken little and no caress had
passed between the reunited couple ; Heber
had not so much as kissed the woman in
his arms. His attention was centred on
the dark course he was steering, or fixed
on landmarks only visible to his practised