Herbert laughed and chatted with the rest of the ladies, and seemed to pay no more attention to Catherine than was due to her as the belle of the party, which she was universally acknowledged to be.  As, however, they passed over the drawbridge of the fort, built on the terminating point of the little promontory, they were obliged to dismount.  Herbert offered Catherine his arm, and Mrs Hardman narrowly watched them.  Her son said a few words in a low tone, which caused the colour to mount into the young lady’s cheek; the listener overheard her reply—­’Mr Hardman, it can, it must never be!’ and withdrawing her arm from his, entered the fort unsupported.  These words at once pleased and displeased the ambitious mother.  The girl evidently did not encourage her son’s suit—­that favoured the Lady Elizabeth project; ‘but,’ thought Mrs Hardman, drawing herself up to her full height,’ does a lawyer’s daughter reject the heir of the Hardmans?’

The truth is, Hardman, the night before, had declared his love; it was on the drawbridge that he pressed her to give him hopes; but her reply repressed rather than encouraged them.

The servants had brought the horses into the fort, that, mounted, the spectators might see over the ramparts the noble scene which lay before them to greater advantage.  The fleet consisted of a number of merchant vessels, with a convoy of king’s ships, which were just preparing to sail out of the bay.  When the men-of-war had spread their canvas and begun to move, a salute was fired, quite unexpectedly by the visitors, from the fort.  Catherine’s horse immediately took fright, and darted across the drawbridge with the speed of lightning.  Herbert lost not a moment; but spurring his own steed, galloped away, taking a circuitous route, lest the clattering of his own horse’s hoofs should impel Catherine’s to run the faster.  On she sped, and as long as she remained within sight, her friends trembled lest some frightful catastrophe should happen.  Presently she darted out of view.  Herbert, meanwhile, galloped to meet her, and at last succeeded; but, alas!  When it was too late to render any assistance.  On coming up, he found both the horse and its rider prostrate, the latter motionless and insensible.  He lifted her from the ground, and took her into a neighbouring house.  The usual restoratives were applied without effect, and it was not till a surgeon appeared and bled the patient that any signs of animation returned.  It was discovered that the right arm and three of the ribs on the left side were fractured.  It was necessary that the utmost quiet should be observed, lest any further and more dangerous injury might, unknown to the medical man, have taken place.

Though, therefore, the whole party assembled near the house, they were not allowed to enter it.  Herbert insisted upon remaining with the father, despite Mrs Hardman’s repeated strictures on the impropriety of his doing so.