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itself?
    He saw the indecision in Wivina’s face, the conflict in her mind and he knew once again from the twisting of her fingers that she was extremely agitated.
    “I don’t – know what to – say,” she faltered.
    There were uneven footsteps in the hall and the door was flung open.
    “I say, Wivina, there’s a magnificent horse outside!”
    A boy came into the room and the way he was dragging one leg told Lord Cheriton that this was Richard.
    He was a handsome lad but too thin, the skin stretched taut over his jaw line and, while he was tidily dressed, his clothes were almost threadbare.
    When he saw that his sister was not alone, he looked surprised, then came forward eagerly.
    “Is that your horse, sir?”
    “It is,” Lord Cheriton answered. “Let me introduce myself. My name is Bradleigh – Captain Bradleigh.”
    “You are a soldier?”
    “I was.”
    “And your horse was with you in France?”
    “He is an old campaigner.”
    “Oh, I say! You must tell me all about it. Did you hear that, Wivina? Captain Bradleigh was in France! He can tell us about the victory. We never learn the details about anything in this dead-and-alive hole!”
    There was an eagerness and an excitement in the young voice which told Lord Cheriton that this was the ally he needed to support him.
    “I was just telling your sister,” he said, “that it would be cruelty to take Samson any farther today, so I was asking if she could find us somewhere where we could sleep for the night.”
    He smiled as he added to Wivina,
    “I am quite prepared to share a stall with Samson and it will certainly not be for the first time.”
    “But, of course, you can stay here,” Richard said quickly. “And perhaps you will tell me about the fighting in France. Were you by any chance at the Battle of Toulouse?”
    “I was,” Lord Cheriton replied, “and I hope never again to see such terrible casualties.”
    “But we won!”
    “We won,” Lord Cheriton conceded, “at the cost of nearly five thousand men.”
    “All war is horrifying! Terrifying!” Wivina sighed in a low voice.
    “Other things can be terrifying too,” Richard replied, “but with no glory attached to them.”
    Lord Cheriton saw Wivina give her brother a warning glance and then as if to cover his words she said quickly,
    “I am sure, Captain Bradleigh, we can find you some accommodation for tonight, and Pender, the old groom of whom I have already spoken, will be very thrilled to look after your horse.”
    “I will take him to the stables myself,” Richard said.
    He half-turned towards the door, then hesitated.
    “I suppose, sir, you would not let me ride him?”
    “He is too tired, I think, to make any objection,” Lord Cheriton replied, “and he is, as it happens, a very amenable horse.”
    “Then I will ride him round to the stables,” Richard said almost breathlessly. “Thank you, sir, thank you!”
    Dragging his leg but moving quite quickly, he went from the room and they heard him crossing the hall.
    “Richard loves horses,” Wivina said, “but he never has a chance of riding one unless some local farmer is kind enough to lend him a mount.”
    She smiled a little wryly as she said,
    “They are usually pretty rough, not the type of animal one would ride for pleasure.”
    Lord Cheriton had an idea that the farmers’ horses were usually too busily employed collecting smuggled goods from the boats which came into the creek, but aloud he said,
    “As you are kind enough to offer me your hospitality for the night, will you permit me to collect my servant?”
    “I had forgotten him,” Wivina said, “and, of course, you will want to ride to the village.”
    “As a matter of fact I would rather walk,” Lord Cheriton answered. “We have been in the saddle all day and it will do me good to stretch my legs.”
    “You will find The Dog and Duck quite easily,” Wivina said. “It’s only a short distance beyond the drive.”
    “I noticed that when I