"You take the reins, Fan," said Swinton, stepping out of the phaeton.
"Keep a tight hold on them, and don't let the ponies move from the spot
they're in--not so much as an inch!"
Without comprehending the object of this exact order, Fan promised to
obey it.
The remembrance of mare than one scene, in which she had succumbed to
her husband's violence, secured compliance with his request.
Having made it, the ex-guardsman ascended the steps, presented his card,
and was shown into the drawing-room.