here he checked the mare &apos;s pace to a gentle amble , and round a bend in the road they came upon a low and elegant little house , standing back behind a red brick wall with creepers that scrambled over it by a small , green-painted gate . in the road outside the gate a young and pretty governess was just setting out for a morning walk with her charges , a little boy and a little girl . the children had hoops in their hands , and it was with the greatest difficulty that they were restrained from bowling them into the mare &apos;s legs . Hudson brought the gig to a stop and raised his hat to the lady . then , tossing the reins to the groom , he swung himself down into the lane beside her . good morning , Miss Greenwood , he said , and Horatia thought she had never heard so much feeling put into such a prosaic greeting before . oh ! said the little governess , blushing deeply . good morning , Mr Crankcroft . then she turned to the children . you may bowl your hoops to the corner and back , she told them brightly . and see which can get back to me first . but no cheating , mind ! Sam , you are not to trip Sukey as you did last time &amp;hellip; . and Sukey , you are not to bowl your hoop into Sam &apos;s deliberately &amp;hellip; . no , Miss Greenwood , they cried , and they were off , their small legs flashing down the lane , the little boy &apos;s long white trousers not quite as quick as his sister &apos;s frilled pantaloons in spite of her long skirts . in their absence the little governess turned breathlessly to Hudson . Mr Crankcroft ! she said urgently . Hudson &amp;hellip; . you know we agreed that it should be Hudson , Sophy ! his teasing voice was tender as well . Hudson then ! &amp;hellip; this is madness . I told you not to come here . the children will talk and I shall lose my situation , and your father will find out that you are meeting me and he will be furious with you . I can not be the cause of a quarrel between you and your father , and you must not be the cause of my dismissal . we must not meet any more . but we are going to meet , and as often as we can . Hudson &apos;s voice was firm . Sophy &amp;hellip; darling , dearest Sophy , I must go on seeing you because I shall die if I do n&apos;t . and you would not like me to die , would you , from such a cause ? he was teasing again , but he was serious , too . the children had reached the corner of the lane and were arguing hotly before starting back again , and the little governess caught at his arm . do n&apos;t you see , she cried , a governess , even in such a kindly household as the one I am in , has no life of her own ? she must not . her only reason for being in the house is to look after the children and to teach them their lessons . she glanced back at Horatia , sitting there in the gig in her funereal garments . better you should forget me , she said gently , while there is time . but there is n&apos;t time , he replied . because I have already fallen in love with you , Sophy . he introduced Horatia to her , stressing the fact that she was a young friend of Lady Wade . I am afraid I have made her a catspaw this morning , he explained . but you need have no fear of her . she is a very kindly catspaw , and I know that if she can she will fish our chestnuts out of the fire for us . Horatia beamed her approval from the depths of her bonnet , and Sophy gave her a timid little smile . but the children were coming back , their hoops racing ahead of them , and she could only implore Hudson to leave her before she met them . as they flung themselves upon her she told them they had both won , and neither was an inch before the other , and then she took them away for their walk in the opposite direction , without another glance at her lover . Hudson drove back to Regent &apos;s park in silence , and Horatia felt sorry for him . a hopeless love affair was almost as bad as having coping stones on your head . but the March morning was sunny and blustery and the buds were thickening in the trees . there was a freshness in the grass , too , promising that April was in the wings waiting for the signal to take the stage , and as they entered the park Hudson asked his companion what she thought of his charmer . is she not the loveliest creature you have ever seen ? he asked . he was obviously head over heels in love with his Sophy , and Horatia was able to oblige him by agreeing with him . she is very pretty , she said . and she looks sweet-tempered and gentle and kind . I congratulate you , Mr Hudson . do you intend to marry her ? I do indeed . I have never met another girl like her , you see , and I do not suppose I shall ever meet such a one again . therefore I dare not let go the chance , and directly I can prevail upon her to do so I shall make her my wife , though I have nothing to offer her except debts . we shall have to live on bread and cheese and kisses . I have heard that it is a satisfying diet , said Horatia demurely , and he shot a quick glance at her and grinned . I say , he said , you know what is in their minds , I suppose ? Lady Wade and my father , I mean ? no . she looked blank . how could I ? why , they &apos;ve got the idea that you and I ought to make a go of it . had n&apos;t you twigged it ? but &amp;hellip; . Horatia coloured . that is absurd . why , your father has met me but once in his life ! that does n&apos;t matter . he would not care if he had never met you at all . oh , now I understand ! she was mortified . it &apos;s that wretched money again ! quite so . that wretched money , as you say . is n&apos;t it a peculiar thing that half the world suffers from having no money , and the other half from having too much ? and of the half that has too much I &apos;d say that half of them again love money and the other half hate it . Horatia agreed that it was all extremely unfair . here was Hudson , only wanting to marry his pretty Sophy and having no money to do so . and there was herself , only wishing to live quietly in the country among horses , without coping stones falling on her head , and being heiress to a fortune that everybody appeared to want , and because they could not get at it without her , suffered her as well . it was neither a flattering nor a gratifying prospect . Mr Hudson , she said earnestly , I apologize . it is the first time you have taken me out , and I promise you that it may be the last . oh , please do n&apos;t say that ! he apologized in his turn . I was clumsy in the way I put it , but I wanted to be frank with you , Miss Horatia , because you are such an honest sort of person that I could not be anything else . but , indeed , if you really wish to be my friend , you will accompany me tomorrow , and the next day and the next . her mortification left her and she laughed . and all so that you shall meet your Sophy in her country lane ! you &apos;ve hit it , ma&apos;am . but you will be raising your aunt &apos;s hopes and your father &apos;s anticipations to a cruel degree . if they are foolish enough to have such hopes and anticipations it is scarcely my affair . Horatia laughed again . well , I can not say that I approve . you must remember that I am taking your aunt &apos;s hospitality , and , if your plans go right , on entirely false pretences . I will come with you tomorrow , but more than that I can not promise . they turned away from Oxford Street towards the British Museum , and presently clattered over the cobbles into Bounty Street , and in front of number eleven they were surprised to see a phaeton drawn up - a very new and expensive phaeton - with a pair of fine horses in the shafts that Horatia recognised at once . why , she cried gladly , I believe it must be Mr Latimer ! I &apos;d know that cattle anywhere ! Hudson glanced at her oddly , but he said no more than a mild , a friend of yours , Miss Pendleton ? as he pulled in his little mare behind the vastly superior equipage in front of his aunt &apos;s door . he gave us a ride into Brighton in his carriage after the stage had left us stranded in Lewes , she explained hastily , and did not wait for the little groom to help her down . she put her foot on the wheel and dropped easily to the ground , and came up the steps to number eleven just as the front door opened and Mr Latimer himself came out , a look of deep displeasure on his handsome face . Horatia and her escort had been gone about half an hour when old Lady Wade , indulging in her usual occupation of watching her neighbours from behind her parlour curtains , observed a new phaeton turn into the street and stop outside her own front door , and although she did not recognize it or the horses she knew the driver at once . she was sharp enough to know that a morning visit in such a brand new carriage - evidently brought there to impress the sadly inexperienced Miss Pendleton - would not be paid for the sake of herself : an enquiry and the formal leaving of a card would have been sufficient for her . but Mr Latimer had given the reins to his man and was mounting the steps of number eleven himself , and she had no doubt that it was the news in the morning &apos;s paper that had sent him after Horatia . once they know where she is , all the fortune-hunters in London will be after her like flies after bad meat , muttered her ladyship , scowling darkly through the curtains at Mr Latimer &apos;s broad back , and was in two minds as to whether she would receive him before telling Josiah to show him in . if her visitor was disappointed that Horatia was not with her he did not show it . I came to assure myself that neither your ladyship nor Miss Pendleton were any the worse for your journey last week , he said . she looked him up and down . I took no harm from the journey , thank you , she said disagreeably . but I &apos;m afraid I can not answer for Miss Pendleton , as she is not here . he flushed and his eyes glinted with temper , but his voice was controlled and courteous enough as he replied : come now , madam , I &apos;m not an emissary from the young lady &apos;s uncle , that fire-eating Sussex squire . but she is young and inexperienced in the ways of the world , and I wanted to be certain that she is safe and in good hands . if she has left your house , perhaps you will be kind enough to tell me where she has gone . and without being asked , he sat himself down as if the whole day was before him . her ladyship was alarmed . she did not wish him to be there when Horatia returned ; she thought quickly and she thought hard and then she said sharply : I can relieve your mind on that score then , Mr Latimer . Miss Pendleton is still with me . when I said she was not here I meant to say that she was not in the house : she went out for a drive with my nephew in his new gig . and here she glanced out of the window at the phaeton as if to say that he was not the only man to have a new carriage that morning . she was looking a thought pale - the effect of the London air , I daresay , after the country . she gave a shrill cackle of laughter which the parrot behind her echoed with great veracity . 