"Presently. Keep your seat, Julia. Hold on firmly."
"Can't you stop them?"
"Presently," came again.
"Is there any danger?"
"Plenty of room ahead, fortunately. I shall let them have their swing. Don't be shaken out, that's all."
Julia obeyed his orders, and sat perfectly still. On and on they flew in a mad rush. The road was very straight, and so long as this lasted the danger might be counted small; but there was nothing to check the horses; no human being was in sight, and in time the common must end.
It seemed to Julia that their speed increased rather than diminished. She had never known anything like it. It was evident that Harvey had at present no choice about allowing the horses to go, for go they would, and the utmost he could do was to use some measure of guidance, keeping a sharp look-out for obstacles.
Grass and furze-bushes flashed past in dizzying style. Julia felt bewildered, hardly able to think. Fear existed, but was kept under. Her one distinct wish at the time was not to embarrass her husband. She sat by his side like a statue, only swayed by the swaying of the vehicle.
"We are coming to something different," she said at length quietly. For the road in advance rose a little and disappeared among trees.
Harvey knew that the common ended there, and that a long descent followed; not so steep, happily, as the ascent by which they had reached the common, yet steep enough to be a very serious matter if they were to go down at this rate.