What a ride they had then, when the hill was descended and the gates of Chickaree left behind!  The road for some miles was known to Wych Hazel; then they branched off into another where all was new.  The qualities of the brown mare had been coming to her rider’s knowledge by degrees; a beautiful mouth, excellent paces, thorough training; knowing her business and doing it.  As they entered upon a long smooth stretch of road without anybody in sight, Rollo proposed a run; and they had it; and it was upon drawing bridle after this that he asked a question.

‘How do you like her?’

Now Miss Kennedy, in defiance of all-known laws, had never been so smitten with the regulation beaver upon a man’s head, as to place it on her own.  So instead of its stiff proportions she wore a little round straw hat; utterly comfortable, utterly graceful, and drooping down over her eyes a la Marie Stuart, so as to keep those wayward things in deep seclusion when she chose.  Just now, however, she turned them full on her companion, answering: 

‘O very much!—­I suspect she has only one fault.’

’What in the world is that?  Have you discovered already what I have sought for in vain?

‘It is the reverse of my speciality,’ said Wych Hazel—­’so perhaps that makes me sharpsighted.  I am afraid she always behaves well.’

‘She knows her business,’ said Rollo.  ’I think what you want her to do, she will do.  Pardon me; do you wish her—­it is rather paradoxical—­to thwart you wishes!’

‘No,’ said the girl, laughing a little,—­’I put it somewhat differently:  perhaps I might like, just occasionally, to thwart hers!’

’She’ll be an extraordinary animal if she does not some time or other give you a chance.  Now do you know what you are coming to?’

The scenery was changing, had changed.  The level, open road they had been clearing on the gallop, had gradually drawn within high banks, which as they went on grew higher and broken, till the country assumed the character of a glen or deep valley.  Opening a little here and there, this valley shewed ahead of them now a succession of high, long, dingy buildings; and a large, rapid stream of water was seen to run under the opposite bank.  It had not been visible until now; so it probably turned off near this point into an easier channel than the course of their road would have afforded.  The scene was extremely picturesque; sunshine and shadow mingling on the sides of the dell and on the roofs and gables of the buildings in the bottom.  These were both large and small; it was quite a settlement; cottages, small and mean and dingy, standing all along on the higher banks, as well as lower down near the stream.  Gradually the dell spread into a smooth, narrow valley.

’The mills, I suppose?  I have not been this way before.  It makes me half wild to get out again!  So if I do any wild things——­How lovely the dell is!’