Did you hear of John Runce?" Then he told the story
of John Runce, which had been told to him.
"What a fine old fellow! I should forgive him his rent"
"He is much better able to pay me double. Your Senator, Mr. Morton,
is a very peculiar man."
"He is peculiar," said Morton, "and I am sorry to say can make
himself very disagreeable."
"We might as well trot on as Shugborough is a small place, and a
fox always goes away from it at once. John Runce knows how to train
them better than I do. Then they made their way on through the
straggling horses, and John Morton, not wishing to seem to be
afraid of his rival, remained alone. "I wish Caneback had left that
mare behind," said the lord as they went. "It isn't the country for
her, and she is going very nastily with him. Are you fond of
hunting, Miss Trefoil?"
"Very fond of it," said Arabella who had been out two or three
times in her life.
"I like a girl to ride to hounds," said his lordship. "I don't
think she ever looks so well." Then Arabella determined that come
what might she would ride to hounds.
At Shugborough Springs a fox was found before half the field was
up, and he broke almost as soon as he was found. "Follow me through
the hand gates," said the lord, "and from the third field out it's
fair riding. Let him have his head, and remember he hangs a moment
as he comes to his fence.
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