"I'm afraid she has, Sir Thomas. The joint-oil will be sure to run on both knees; the gashes is so mortal deep."
"I've driven that mare hundreds of times down that hill," said Sir Thomas, "and I never knew her to trip before."
"Never, Sir Thomas," said the groom.
"She'd have come down with you to-day," said Mr. Traffick, defending himself.
"It was my own fault, Bunsum. That's all that can be said about it." Bunsum the groom, kneeling as he was, expressed, by his grimaces, his complete agreement with this last opinion of his master. "Of course I ought to have known that he couldn't drive," said Sir Thomas.
"A horse may fall down with anybody," said Mr. Traffick.
"You'd better take her and shoot her," said Sir Thomas, still addressing the groom. "She was the best thing we had in the stable, but now she is done for." With that he turned away from the yard without having as yet addressed a word to his son-in-law.
This was so intolerable that even Mr. Traffick could not bear it in silence. "I have told you that I am very sorry," said he, following Sir Thomas closely, "and I don't know what a man can do more."
"Nothing,—unless it be not to borrow a horse again."
"You may be sure I will never do that."