Jane Helen Findlater > Green graves of Balgowrie

THE GREEN GRAVES OF BALGOWRIE
banks,” he said, and strode out of the room in
search of his hostess without wasting more
time.
Lucie was in a fever of excitement and delight.
Haw often she had longed to ride ! and there was
a delicious excitement in the teacher too. Life
had acquired a sudden saltness after its long
vapidity, and she walked about the room clasping
and unclasping her fingers, dreading to hear that
the proposed pleasure had been forbidden.
The Captain returned very soon. “ Mrs. Marjory-
banks is quite pleased. Will you send Silence for
the horse? And your mother even tells me she
has a habit for you.”
“ Oh yes, I have often dressed up in it! ” cried
Lucie, breathless with pleasure. “And are we
really going? Ah, but why can Henrietta not
come too?” she said, her happy face clouding
over.
Charteris drew in his breath in a half-whistle of
intense inward amusement. “ If she was not as
innocent as a dove, wouldn’t that have been a
coquette’s question ? ” he said to himself; but
aloud—
“ I fear we cannot furnish ourselves with three
horses, Miss Lucie; it is a sad pity, but perhaps
Miss Marjorybanks, who is so studious, would
despise it for wasted time.”
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