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As Melbury surmised, Fitzpiers had in the darkness taken Blosso, and he had not discovered his h he was somewhat surprised at the liveliness of his

usually placid mare The only other pair of eyes on the spot whose

vision was keen as the young carter's were those of the horse; and,

with that strongly conservative objection to the unusual which ani the collar under the tree--quite invisible to

Fitzpiers--exercised none of the patience of the older horse, but shied

sufficiently to unseat so second-rate an equestrian as the surgeon

He fell, and did notas Melbury afterwards found hi his conscience for the desertion by thinking how

vigorously he would spread the alarot to

Hintock--which he unco the skeleton event

with a load of dramatic horrors

Grace had returned, and the fly hired on her account, though not by her

husband, at the Crown Hotel, Shottsford-Foru drive had so

a feverish intermittent nervousness which had more to do with -roo of a hopeful

mood Mrs Melbury had told her as soon as she arrived that her

husband had returned froone out, she said, to see a

patient, as she supposed, and he must soon be back, since he had had no

dinner or tea Grace would not allow her mind to harbor any suspicion