“You hear, little wood-nymph,” she said, after appropriating this compliment with a bend of the head, “there is nothing to fear, so speak out. Where do you live? How came you among all these gentlemen and ladies?”
“I live in the park, near Greenhurst, madam, with Mr. Turner”——
“Ha!” exclaimed Lady Catherine, with a sharp glance at my face. “Go home, child—how came you here?”
“I came on my pony, madam.”
“But the hunt, what on earth brought you there?” cried the lady, seeming to become more and more displeased.
“The hunt—if all this company means that—came across me, and carried Jupiter and I along.”
“But how came you dismounted and among the hounds?”
“They were all upon the poor stag, and I could not bear it,” I replied, simply.
“Mother,” said the young man walking close to the lady and speaking in a low voice, “let us take some other time for questioning her. Lead off the party, so many persons terrify the poor child.”
“Mount your horse then,” she replied, sharply, “I will see you again child. I must have some explanation of all this. You are right, George, this is no place. Mount—mount!”