Next morning Jael Dence came up to the hall, and almost the first question Grace asked her was, whether she had ever heard of the Gabriel hounds.

Jael looked rather puzzled.  Grace described them after Mr. Raby.

“Why, that will be Gabble Retchet,” said Jael.  “I wouldn’t talk much about the like, if I was you, miss.”

But Grace persisted, and, at last, extracted from her that sounds had repeatedly been heard in the air at night, as of a pack of hounds in full cry, and that these hounds ran before trouble.  “But,” said Jael, solemnly, “they are not hounds at all; they are the souls of unbaptized children, wandering in the air till the day of judgment.”

This description, however probable, had the effect of making Grace disbelieve the phenomenon altogether, and she showed her incredulity by humming a little air.

But Jael soon stopped that.  “Oh, miss, pray don’t do so.  If you sing before breakfast, you’ll cry before supper.”

At breakfast, Mr. Coventry invited Miss Carden to go to the top of Cairnhope Peak, and look over four counties.  He also told her she could see Bollinghope house, his own place, very well from the Peak.

Grace assented:  and, immediately after breakfast, begged Jael to be in the way to accompany her.  She divined, with feminine quickness, that Mr. Coventry would be very apt, if he pointed out Bollinghope House to her from the top of a mountain, to say, “Will you be its mistress?” but, possibly, she did not wish to be hurried, or it may have been only a mere instinct, an irrational impulse of self-defense, with which the judgment had nothing to do; or perhaps it was simple modesty.  Any way, she engaged Jael to be of the party.

It was talked of again at luncheon, and then Mr. Raby put in a word.  “I have one stipulation to make, young people, and that is that you go up the east side, and down the same way.  It is all safe walking on that side.  I shall send you in my four-wheel to the foot of the hill, and George will wait for you there at the ‘Colley Dog’ public-house, and bring you home again.”

This was, of course, accepted with thanks, and the four-wheel came round at two o’clock.  Jael was seated in front by the side of George, who drove; Mr. Coventry and Grace, behind.  He had his fur-cloak to keep his companion warm on returning from the hill; but Mr. Raby, who did nothing by halves, threw in some more wraps, and gave a warm one to Jael; she was a favorite with him, as indeed were all the Dences.

They started gayly, and rattled off at a good pace.  Before they had got many yards on the high-road, they passed a fir-plantation, belonging to Mr. Raby, and a magpie fluttered out of this, and flew across the road before them.

Jael seized the reins, and pulled them so powerfully, she stopped the pony directly.  “Oh, the foul bird!” she cried, “turn back! turn back!”

“What for?” inquired Mr. Coventry.