At half-past nine there was no rain, and the ladies were so nearly punctual that the carriages absolutely started at ten.  Some of the men rode on; one got a seat on the carriage; and Lord Rufford drove himself and a friend in a dog-cart, tandem.  The tandem was off before the carriages, but Lord Rufford assured them that he would get the master to allow them a quarter of an hour.  Arabella contrived to say one word to him.  “If you start without me I’ll never speak to you again.”  He nodded and smiled; but perhaps thought that if so it might be as well that he should start without waiting for her.

At the last moment the Duchess had taken it into her head that she too would go to the meet.  No doubt she was actuated by some feeling in regard to her niece; but it was not till Arabella was absolutely getting on to Jack at the side of the carriage,—­under the auspices of Jack’s owner,—­that the idea occurred to her Grace that there would be a great difficulty as to the return home.  “Arabella, how do you mean to get back?” she asked.

“That will be all right, aunt,” said Arabella.

“I will see to that,” said Lord Rufford.

The gracious but impatient master of the hounds had absolutely waited full twenty minutes for the Duchess’s party; and was not minded to wait a minute longer for conversation.  The moment that the carriages were there the huntsmen had started so that there was an excuse for hurry.  Lord Rufford as he was speaking got on to his own horse, and before the Duchess could expostulate they were away.  There was a feeling of triumph in Arabella’s bosom as she told herself that she had at any rate secured her day’s hunting in spite of such heart-breaking difficulties.

The sport was fairly good.  They had twenty minutes in the morning and a kill.  Then they drew a big wood during which they ate their lunch and drank their sherry.  In the big wood they found a fox but could not do anything with him.  After that they came on a third in a stubble field and ran him well for half an hour, when he went to ground.  It was then three o’clock; and as the days were now at the shortest the master declined to draw again.  They were then about sixteen miles from Mistletoe, and about ten from Stamford where Lord Rufford’s horses were standing.  The distance from Stamford to Mistletoe was eight.  Lord Rufford proposed that they should ride to Stamford and then go home in a hired carriage.  There seemed indeed to be no other way of getting home without taking three tired horses fourteen miles out of their way.  Arabella made no objection whatever to the arrangement.  Lord Rufford did in truth make a slight effort,—­the slightest possible,—­to induce a third person to join their party.  There was still something pulling at his coat-tail, so that there might yet be a chance of saving him from the precipice.  But he failed.  The tired horseman before whom the suggestion was casually thrown out, would have been delighted to accept it, instead of riding all the way to Mistletoe; but he did not look upon it as made in earnest.  Two, he knew, were company and three none.