"Not me!" exclaimed Puggy in dismay. "I can stick on anything. We can go off after adventures now, Tina. Why, we can go miles and miles and miles!"
He was on the brown pony directly it was saddled, and galloped down the drive with a shout of delight. Christina trembled and shivered from head to foot when she was mounted; but she bravely fought her fears, and her father watched her with a gleam of tenderness in his eyes. He knew by this time her great timidity, and he did not want a repetition of her first trial on horseback. His wife came out and joined him as Christina was led down the drive at a foot's pace by the old groom.
"She holds herself well," she remarked.
"Stiff with terror," her husband said. "Perhaps it is rather a cruel experiment, at Christmas time too!"
"Oh, nonsense! She is a different child since I came. And Puggy does her all the good in the world. I am so thankful that dreadful old nurse has gone. She would have ruined any child."
"I fancy Christina has some grit in her small composition," said Mr. Maclahan. "She will lose her excessive timidity as she grows older, I hope."
Four times Christina paced the avenue, and then with a sigh of infinite relief she dismounted.
"Ah, Miss Tina," said Barker, "we shall soon have you agoing out hunting. You'll soon be easy on horseback."
"Not hunting the poor little foxes," said Christina, shuddering. "I could never, never do that."
"You ought to have been born a Frenchy," said Puggy, who was standing by and had heard her remark. "You aren't fit to be an English girl!"