Here he checked the mare's pace to a gentle amble , and round a bend in the road they came upon a low and elegant little house , standing back behind a red brick wall with creepers that scrambled over it by a small , green-painted gate .sx In the road outside the gate a young and pretty governess was just setting out for a morning walk with her charges , a little boy and a little girl .sx The children had hoops in their hands , and it was with the greatest difficulty that they were restrained from bowling them into the mare's legs .sx Hudson brought the gig to a stop and raised his hat to the lady .sx Then , tossing the reins to the groom , he swung himself down into the lane beside her .sx 'Good morning , Miss Greenwood,' he said , and Horatia thought she had never heard so much feeling put into such a prosaic greeting before .sx 'Oh !sx ' said the little governess , blushing deeply .sx 'Good morning , Mr. Crankcroft .sx ' Then she turned to the children .sx 'You may bowl your hoops to the corner and back,' she told them brightly .sx 'And see which can get back to me first .sx But no cheating , mind !sx Sam , you are not to trip Sukey as you did last time .sx . And Sukey , you are not to bowl your hoop into Sam's deliberately .sx .' 'No , Miss Greenwood,' they cried , and they were off , their small legs flashing down the lane , the little boy's long white trousers not quite as quick as his sister's frilled pantaloons in spite of her long skirts .sx In their absence the little governess turned breathlessly to Hudson .sx 'Mr .sx Crankcroft !sx ' she said urgently .sx 'Hudson .sx . You know we agreed that it should be Hudson , Sophy !sx ' His teasing voice was tender as well .sx 'Hudson then !sx .. This is madness .sx I told you not to come here .sx The children will talk and I shall lose my situation , and your father will find out that you are meeting me and he will be furious with you .sx I cannot be the cause of a quarrel between you and your father , and you must not be the cause of my dismissal .sx We must not meet any more .sx ' 'But we are going to meet , and as often as we can .sx ' Hudson's voice was firm .sx 'Sophy .sx . darling , dearest Sophy , I must go on seeing you because I shall die if I don't .sx And you would not like me to die , would you , from such a cause ?sx ' He was teasing again , but he was serious , too .sx The children had reached the corner of the lane and were arguing hotly before starting back again , and the little governess caught at his arm .sx 'Don't you see,' she cried , 'a governess , even in such a kindly household as the one I am in , has no life of her own ?sx She must not .sx Her only reason for being in the house is to look after the children and to teach them their lessons .sx ' She glanced back at Horatia , sitting there in the gig in her funereal garments .sx 'Better you should forget me,' she said gently , 'while there is time .sx ' 'But there isn't time,' he replied .sx 'Because I have already fallen in love with you , Sophy .sx ' He introduced Horatia to her , stressing the fact that she was a young friend of Lady Wade .sx 'I am afraid I have made her a catspaw this morning,' he explained .sx 'But you need have no fear of her .sx She is a very kindly catspaw , and I know that if she can she will fish our chestnuts out of the fire for us .sx ' Horatia beamed her approval from the depths of her bonnet , and Sophy gave her a timid little smile .sx But the children were coming back , their hoops racing ahead of them , and she could only implore Hudson to leave her before she met them .sx As they flung themselves upon her she told them they had both won , and neither was an inch before the other , and then she took them away for their walk in the opposite direction , without another glance at her lover .sx Hudson drove back to Regent's park in silence , and Horatia felt sorry for him .sx A hopeless love affair was almost as bad as having coping stones on your head .sx But the March morning was sunny and blustery and the buds were thickening in the trees .sx There was a freshness in the grass , too , promising that April was in the wings waiting for the signal to take the stage , and as they entered the park Hudson asked his companion what she thought of his charmer .sx 'Is she not the loveliest creature you have ever seen ?sx ' he asked .sx He was obviously head over heels in love with his Sophy , and Horatia was able to oblige him by agreeing with him .sx 'She is very pretty,' she said .sx 'And she looks sweet-tempered and gentle and kind .sx I congratulate you , Mr. Hudson .sx Do you intend to marry her ?sx ' 'I do indeed .sx I have never met another girl like her , you see , and I do not suppose I shall ever meet such a one again .sx Therefore I dare not let go the chance , and directly I can prevail upon her to do so I shall make her my wife , though I have nothing to offer her except debts .sx We shall have to live on bread and cheese and kisses .sx ' 'I have heard that it is a satisfying diet,' said Horatia demurely , and he shot a quick glance at her and grinned .sx 'I say,' he said , 'you know what is in their minds , I suppose ?sx Lady Wade and my father , I mean ?sx ' 'No .sx ' She looked blank .sx 'How could I ?sx ' 'Why , they've got the idea that you and I ought to make a go of it .sx Hadn't you twigged it ?sx ' 'But .sx .' Horatia coloured .sx 'That is absurd .sx Why , your father has met me but once in his life !sx ' 'That doesn't matter .sx He would not care if he had never met you at all .sx ' 'Oh , now I understand !sx ' She was mortified .sx 'It's that wretched money again !sx ' 'Quite so .sx That wretched money , as you say .sx Isn't it a peculiar thing that half the world suffers from having no money , and the other half from having too much ?sx And of the half that has too much I'd say that half of them again love money and the other half hate it .sx ' Horatia agreed that it was all extremely unfair .sx Here was Hudson , only wanting to marry his pretty Sophy and having no money to do so .sx And there was herself , only wishing to live quietly in the country among horses , without coping stones falling on her head , and being heiress to a fortune that everybody appeared to want , and because they could not get at it without her , suffered her as well .sx It was neither a flattering nor a gratifying prospect .sx 'Mr .sx Hudson,' she said earnestly , 'I apologize .sx It is the first time you have taken me out , and I promise you that it may be the last .sx ' 'Oh , please don't say that !sx ' He apologized in his turn .sx 'I was clumsy in the way I put it , but I wanted to be frank with you , Miss Horatia , because you are such an honest sort of person that I could not be anything else .sx But , indeed , if you really wish to be my friend , you will accompany me tomorrow , and the next day and the next .sx ' Her mortification left her and she laughed .sx 'And all so that you shall meet your Sophy in her country lane !sx ' 'You've hit it , ma'am .sx ' 'But you will be raising your aunt's hopes and your father's anticipations to a cruel degree .sx ' 'If they are foolish enough to have such hopes and anticipations it is scarcely my affair .sx ' Horatia laughed again .sx 'Well , I cannot say that I approve .sx You must remember that I am taking your aunt's hospitality , and , if your plans go right , on entirely false pretences .sx I will come with you tomorrow , but more than that I cannot promise .sx ' They turned away from Oxford Street towards the British Museum , and presently clattered over the cobbles into Bounty Street , and in front of Number Eleven they were surprised to see a phaeton drawn up- a very new and expensive phaeton- with a pair of fine horses in the shafts that Horatia recognised at once .sx 'Why,' she cried gladly , 'I believe it must be Mr. Latimer !sx I'd know that cattle anywhere !sx ' Hudson glanced at her oddly , but he said no more than a mild , ~'A friend of yours , Miss Pendleton ?sx ' as he pulled in his little mare behind the vastly superior equipage in front of his aunt's door .sx 'He gave us a ride into Brighton in his carriage after the stage had left us stranded in Lewes,' she explained hastily , and did not wait for the little groom to help her down .sx She put her foot on the wheel and dropped easily to the ground , and came up the steps to Number Eleven just as the front door opened and Mr. Latimer himself came out , a look of deep displeasure on his handsome face .sx Horatia and her escort had been gone about half an hour when old Lady Wade , indulging in her usual occupation of watching her neighbours from behind her parlour curtains , observed a new phaeton turn into the street and stop outside her own front door , and although she did not recognize it or the horses she knew the driver at once .sx She was sharp enough to know that a morning visit in such a brand new carriage- evidently brought there to impress the sadly inexperienced Miss Pendleton- would not be paid for the sake of herself :sx an enquiry and the formal leaving of a card would have been sufficient for her .sx But Mr. Latimer had given the reins to his man and was mounting the steps of Number Eleven himself , and she had no doubt that it was the news in the morning's paper that had sent him after Horatia .sx 'Once they know where she is , all the fortune-hunters in London will be after her like flies after bad meat,' muttered her ladyship , scowling darkly through the curtains at Mr. Latimer's broad back , and was in two minds as to whether she would receive him before telling Josiah to show him in .sx If her visitor was disappointed that Horatia was not with her he did not show it .sx 'I came to assure myself that neither your ladyship nor Miss Pendleton were any the worse for your journey last week,' he said .sx She looked him up and down .sx 'I took no harm from the journey , thank you,' she said disagreeably .sx 'But I'm afraid I cannot answer for Miss Pendleton , as she is not here .sx ' He flushed and his eyes glinted with temper , but his voice was controlled and courteous enough as he replied :sx 'Come now , madam , I'm not an emissary from the young lady's uncle , that fire-eating Sussex squire .sx But she is young and inexperienced in the ways of the world , and I wanted to be certain that she is safe and in good hands .sx If she has left your house , perhaps you will be kind enough to tell me where she has gone .sx ' And without being asked , he sat himself down as if the whole day was before him .sx Her ladyship was alarmed .sx She did not wish him to be there when Horatia returned ; she thought quickly and she thought hard and then she said sharply :sx 'I can relieve your mind on that score then , Mr. Latimer .sx Miss Pendleton is still with me .sx When I said she was not here I meant to say that she was not in the house :sx she went out for a drive with my nephew in his new gig .sx ' And here she glanced out of the window at the phaeton as if to say that he was not the only man to have a new carriage that morning .sx 'She was looking a thought pale- the effect of the London air , I daresay , after the country .sx ' She gave a shrill cackle of laughter which the parrot behind her echoed with great veracity .sx