Hardy accepted, and went up to the grand stand where Fru Jensen and her daughters were and Frøken Helga Lindal. He had changed his clothes for a black morning coat and tweed trousers. The last race was being ran.
"Herr Jensen has sent me to see you to your carriage, Fru Jensen," said Hardy; "he is much occupied with his duties of honorary secretary, and settling the usual disputes that arise."
"And was that you with a blue handkerchief round your head and nothing on but a flannel shirt?" asked Fru Jensen.
"Yes," said Hardy; "but I had other garments on than a flannel shirt."
"Of course," said Fru Jensen, "of course; but if I were your mother, I should be afraid of your catching cold."
"But when, Fru Jensen, we ride a race, we have to be dressed for it, and the less clothes we have the better."
"And you have won the race, I hear," said Fru Jensen; "but I did not know who won, and I see it is a silver cup. It will be something to take back to England. Your father, Helga, will be glad to hear Herr Hardy is to have a silver cup."
Helga had perception enough to see that she had wounded Hardy in the early part of the day and that he had not forgotten it. He said nothing to her, but gave Fru Jensen his arm, and conducted them to the Jensen's carriage, a heavy four-wheeled conveyance, arranged to carry eight, by seats placed one after the other in a sort of four-wheeled dogcart with a long body.
It had been a great desire of proprietor Jensen to have a dinner of a public character after the races, but this it was found not practicable to carry out within anything like a reasonable hour, according to Danish notions, and the consequence was Herr Jensen had to content himself with asking as many of his own friends and his friends' friends as he could to his own Herregaard. He was in the best possible humour. The races had gone off without a hitch, and every one had congratulated him. He had been told he had made a great hit with his Englishman, as the officers of the Danish cavalry regiment were delighted with him. It was, however, positively necessary that the worthy proprietor should return home to receive his friends.
"Where is the Englishman?" he inquired, as he came to the carriage.