Ben could not restrain a chuckle at the recollection of his first appearance there, and as if his merriment or his words interested her, the lady said, pleasantly:  “Tell me all about it.  Are Bab and Betty your sisters?”

Quite forgetting his intended tramp, Ben plunged into a copious history of himself and new-made friends, led on by a kind look, an inquiring word, and sympathetic smile, till he had told everything.  At the school-house corner he stopped and said, spreading his arms like a sign-post: 

“That’s the way to the Laylocks, and this is the way to the Squire’s.”

“As I’m in a hurry to see the old house, I’ll go this way first, if you will be kind enough to give my love to Mrs. Allen, and tell the Squire Miss Celia is coming to dine with him.  I wont say good-by, because I shall see you again.”

With a nod and a smile the young lady cantered away, and Ben hurried up the hill to deliver his message, feeling as if something pleasant was going to happen, so it would be wise to defer running away, for the present at least.

[Illustration:  Ben takes the stone from Lita’s foot.]

At one o’clock Miss Celia arrived, and Ben had the delight of helping Pat stable pretty Chevalita; then, his own dinner hastily eaten, he fell to work at the detested wood-pile with sudden energy, for, as he worked, he could steal peeps into the dining-room, and see the curly brown head between the two gray ones as the three sat round the table.  He could not help hearing a word now and then, as the windows were open, and these bits of conversation filled him with curiosity, for the names “Thorny,” “Celia,” and “George” were often repeated, and an occasional merry laugh from the young lady sounded like music in that usually quiet place.

When dinner was over, Ben’s industrious fit left him, and he leisurely trundled his barrow to and fro till the guest departed.  There was no chance for him to help now, since Pat, anxious to get whatever trifle might be offered for his services, was quite devoted in his attentions to the mare and her mistress till she was mounted and off.  But Miss Celia did not forget her little guide, and spying a wistful face behind the wood-pile, paused at the gate and beckoned with that winning smile of hers.  If ten Pats had stood scowling in the way Ben would have defied them all, and vaulting over the fence he ran up with a shining face, hoping she wanted some last favor of him.  Leaning down, Miss Celia slipped a new quarter into his hand, saying: 

“Lita wants me to give you this for taking the stone out of her foot.”

“Thanky, ma’am; I liked to do it, for I hate to see ’em limp, ’specially such a pretty one as she is,” answered Ben, stroking the glossy neck with a loving touch.

“The Squire says you know a good deal about horses, so I suppose you understand the Houyhnhnm language?  I’m learning it, and it is very nice,” laughed Miss Celia, as Chevalita gave a little whinny and snuggled her nose into Ben’s pocket.