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r oxha m , drawing up a chair to sit at his friend’s b e dside. “How fare you? I tried to gain entry two days since but was told you were not up to receiving visitors. Said you were co m pletely done up, and I m ust ad m it, you don’t look in top rig even now.”
    “Nonsense , nothing a few days rest won’t put to rights,” continued Vale i m patiently, his countenance re m aining a s white as the p i llows against which he lay. “Too m uch m ade of the whole e p is o de. If it wasn’t for my mother—well—she see m s to think I need taking care of and will n o t hear of m y inte n tion of retur n ing to m y own esta b lish m ent. I have u p set her enough by the whole affair and m ust allow her the need to be assured that I recover.”
    Thinking it wise to change tack, Wroxham asked, “Do you intend to go to S t ovely after all?”
    “Devil a bit,” replied Vale, gri m acing ruefully. “Doesn’t seem any option at prese n t, though the place is deuced dull at this ti m e of year, but at least I shall get so m e peace.”
    W roxh a m grinned. “Never known you to be in need of peace. Thought it would be the last thing you would want; quite the opposite in fact.”
    “Exactly, but what other option do I have? It is either that or k i ck m y heels here in pen ur y until t h e next hal f - year. No, at least at Stovely I can be my own m a n without any inter f e r ence f rom the f a m ily; they re m ain in town f or the rest of the season. At Stovely I shall not be answerable to anyone.”
    “Not even his grace?”
    “Especially not his grace! He will leave m e to my own devices; he has m ade it per f ectly clear t h at he wishes nothing to do with m e, a fact for which I am eternally grateful. I shall do well at Stovely, I have m ade m y m i nd up to it . ”
    “ W hen do you go ? ”
    “As soon as they let m e out of this accursed bed. I will give t h em one day m ore and then I rise of m y own accord. I will have done with this pa m pering.” Then dropping his tone Vale’s countenance was seen to alter. “By-the-bye, I believe I have reason to thank you.”
    “ W hatever for ? ” asked W r oxh a m perplexed.
    “Thor!”
    “Aye, least I could do. T hought it was what you would wish. No sense in prolonging his agony.”
    “Exactl y ! You acted very pro m ptly and I am grateful. He deserved better.”
    “No m ore need be said,” replied Wroxha m , rising to take his leave. Then as he gained the door, “ W h a t say you that when y ou are m ore the thing I drive down to Stovely and bear you co m pany for a few days? Perhaps you will let m e know when you feel up to it?”
    “An excellent idea,” s m iled Vale. “ T hough I m u s t warn you, the place can be cursed tedious this ti m e of year, but there is some good blood in the stables. One thing I will say for m y sire, he has a knowing eye for horseflesh, never known him to buy a plug.”

“So m ething I believe you to have inherited, Do m i nic, nothing on your yard to be asha m ed of.”
    “That is in d eed pr a i se c o m ing from such a noted whip as you,” b o wed Vale from his pill o ws.
    “No need to be sardonic,” snapped W r oxh a m, as ever disconcerted by his friend’s ton e , never quite sure of his m eaning.
    “Oh , take a damper , ” laughed Vale . “ I intended no slight on your driving ability, I assure you. I am glad you approve of my choice. In d eed I have a pri m e young filly at Stovely who is ripe for bringing on. W e s hall scho o l her.”
    W r oxh a m grinned reluctantly. “I will look forward to it, nothing I enjoy m ore. What is her lineage ? ”
    “Firefly out of Genevieve.”
    “Ho, she should prove a sweet goer, what have you called her?”
    “Sonnet! Do you approve?”
    “Aye, ‘tis fair enough,” agreed W r oxh a m, letting hi m self out into the corridor and with a brief adieu he was gone.
    Left alone the e arl eased hi m self to a more co m f orta b le position. As he had avowed, he longed