AN ENGLISH COUNTRY PLACE
TWO figures on horseback galloped rapidly across the English downs, the
one a number of yards in advance of the other.
A low stone fence divided the adjoining meadows. But at a slight touch
from its rider the first horse rose easily in the air, clearing the
fence without difficulty. On the farther side it stumbled, plunged
forward until steadied by the hands on its reins and came gradually to
the earth upon its knees. Then the rider slid off and talking quietly to
the horse brought it up on its feet again, just at the moment that her
escort jumped the fence and drew up alongside her.
"Jacqueline Ralston, I take off my hat to you. You are one of the best
riders I ever saw in my life. Goodness, but you gave me a nasty moment
when you made that unexpected plunge forward and I had a vision of your
going over head-foremost." Frank Kent's face was pale from the moment's
alarm, but he tried making his voice as calm as possible.
"Yes, it was stupid of me," Jack returned. "There evidently was a hole
this side the fence and I managed to make straight for it. Look, will
you, Frank, while I get my breath."
Jack took the reins of both horses and waited for a moment, while the
young man made the search. It required hardly a second, for the
depression in the ground was only a few feet back of them. There it was
a hole not more than twelve inches in diameter and half as many inches
deep, yet of a peculiarly dangerous character for horseback riders.
"Suppose I had broken your father's finest riding horse's leg!" Jack
exclaimed, when her companion had made the report and pointed out the
spot to her. "Gracious, I should have been so sorry, both because of him
and because of the horse, too!" Jack added. Having now given up both
bridles into Frank's keeping, she continued patting the quivering sides
of the beautiful animal, which had not yet recovered from its moment of
danger.
"Let us sit down here a few moments and rest, Jack," the young man
suggested. "I can tie the horses nearby and it will be a good idea to
let them have a short breathing space. The others won't miss us for a
while yet; we were too far ahead."
Several yards beyond there was a clump of old chestnut trees, and Jack
sat down in the shade of one of them, where Frank joined her a little
later.
Flinging himself down lengthwise on the ground, the young man rested his
head in his hands, facing his companion.
Jacqueline had taken off her riding hat and was adjusting the heavy
braids of her hair, which had become loosened by her plunge.
"I say, Jack, you do look awfully fit these days. You turned a bit pale
a few moments ago, but now your color is as good as ever. I was afraid
you might feel kind of used up. It was like you to start talking about
the possible loss of a horse when you might have been smashed up," Frank
began.
Jack laughed rather faintly. "Oh, I had a bad moment too," she
confessed. "What is the use of pretending to be a heroine when it is not
true? But one can't be laid up for nearly two years as I was without
even being able to walk and face the chance of another accident with
altogether steady nerves. And just when I was feeling exactly like my
old self. I tell you, Frank, this visit to your father and mother has
been a beautiful experience for all of us. I can't tell you how grateful
we are. I believe it has been this delicious outdoor life and the news
of Ruth's and Jim's engagement that has made me absolutely well in a
hurry, after taking rather a long time to get fairly started."
"It can't mean to you, Jack, what it has to me," the young man answered
in such a queer, constrained voice that the girl looked at him curiously
from under her downcast lids.
Jack wondered if he were going to tell her of his love for Olive.
Earnestly she hoped that he would not--at least, not today. She hated
this business of growing up. Perhaps her own unfortunate experience
earlier in their trip had given her this foolish prejudice. That must be
the reason why she had developed such an odd, choking sensation as soon
as she believed that Frank intended making her his confidante. She
wished that they might all remain good friends as they had in the past.
How dreadful it would be to have to give Olive up--or Frank! Besides,
think of Donald Harmon's feelings! A month ago Donald had joined them in
England and since had been Olive's shadow. Indeed, the young man had
not made the slightest effort to disguise his attitude. He was in love
with Olive and did not seem to mind the whole world's knowing it.
But Olive! Jack glanced carefully at Frank and was glad to see that he
was not looking at her, but was still trying to reach a decision. There
could be little doubt in Jack's mind that Olive must prefer Frank Kent
to Donald. Not that Olive had ever confided in her. But there had always
been something in her friend's manner to make Jack feel this
unconsciously. She believed that she had noticed it particularly in the
past two weeks while they had been the guests of Frank's parents, Lord
and Lady Kent, at their wonderful country estate.
Jack stirred. Then she must not be keeping Frank so long away.
The entire house party from the castle was spending the day in the
woods, and the others must have halted somewhere nearer home and would
be expecting them to return and join them.
"I think we had best go back now, Frank, please. I am not in the least
upset by my near tumble," the girl announced. "But you will not mention
it to Ruth or Jim or any of the girls? It did not amount to anything,
yet I don't want Ruth and Jim to have the slightest shade of anxiety to
spoil their beautiful time of being engaged. Poor Jim was desperate at
first at the thought of waiting almost six weeks before his marriage,
but now the ceremony is so near I think he would not have given up this
time for a great deal. You see, he and Ruth are only going to take a
week's honeymoon journey, as your mother has been good enough to promise
to look after us. And then we are all going back to the ranch together.
This time poor Ruth will be dreadfully well chaperoned."
"Yes, I know, Jack, but please don't go just yet. There is something
that--" Frank hesitated. Evidently, however, Jacqueline had not heard
him, for she had gotten up as she finished speaking and was moving off.
The young people found the rest of their party about half a mile back,
where they had chosen their picnic grounds in the neighborhood of a
brook. Jim and Ruth were not with them, but Olive and Donald Harmon,
Frieda and Dick Grant, Jean and the young Italian, Giovanni Colonna,
Lord and Lady Kent and Frank's two sisters, Marcia and Dorothy, were
sitting in a great circle and in the center was evidently a gypsy woman.
Frank had met Dick Grant in London and thinking him a nice American boy
had asked him down to Kent castle for the day. Giovanni Colonna had been
his guest for a week.
Apparently the advent of the two newcomers had interrupted the flow of
the fortune-teller's narrative, for she was standing perfectly silent
with her big, rather impertinent black eyes fastened on Olive's face.
"Please send the gypsy away, Lady Kent," Olive begged. "She seems to be
making up her mind to say something to me. And years ago I had such a
dismal fortune told me by a gypsy who stopped at the Rainbow Lodge that
I have never been able to forget it."
Frank was paying off the woman and telling her to be gone, so that he
did not hear the next few moments' conversation.
"What did she tell you, Olive?" Frieda asked. "I remember we thought it
queer at the time, but I have forgotten what it was."
Olive flushed. She had her old childish dislike of being the center of
attention, and yet she had brought this upon herself.
"Oh, she told me that I was going to find out my parentage some day, and
I have. Then she told me that I would inherit a large fortune." Olive
glanced a little nervously at Donald Harmon, adding, "but of course that
will never come true. And--and I can't remember much else. The story was
told in a kind of jingle."
"Yes, and I recall it better than you do, Olive dear," Jack suddenly
broke in. "The ridiculous woman suggested such abominable things about
me. She said that without knowing it I was going to bring sorrow upon my
best-beloved Olive. I don't know just in what way she meant it, but of
course it was a ridiculous falsehood." And Jack flushed so hotly and
spoke with such unnecessary intensity that her listeners laughed.
At the same time a man servant appeared, announcing that luncheon was
about to be served. And Olive and Donald, who had been informed where
the lovers were to be found, went off together to summon Ruth and Jim.