“Take them off and I’ll give you mine. You can manage even if they are big. Try.”
She tried and in another moment the gloves were on, the ribbons slipped into her fingers and the control of four superb horses lay within her hands. Ah! how delicious it was to feel their strength and hers!
“What would Mrs. Lennox say if she knew I were driving?”
“She would not mind, but the others might. We’ll never tell.”
“Never.”
They swung along at an even pace, but presently, as if conscious that the ribbons had changed hands, the horses became restive and finally taking fright at an imaginary object, the leaders shied and plunged forward madly.
“Give them their heads!” commanded Mr. Lennox peremptorily.
“Don’t drive at quite such a mad pace, please Mr. Lennox,” cried a girl from the rear, “you frighten us nearly to death.”
“Oh! it’s all right,” reassuringly, “they’ll quiet down in a moment.”
Hester with set lips and feet firmly planted was struggling to get them under control. She did not speak nor did Mr. Lennox again, but he watched her narrowly, alert and ready in a second to relieve her. He thought her equal to the emergency and she was, for after half a mile of tearing madly over the ground, she succeeded in regaining control of them and the horses, recognizing the strength of an experienced hand, quieted down into the old habit of obedience.