Take  care  what  you  are  doing  ! — steady  !  horse,  steady ! — touch
him  with  the  whip  on  the  shoulder.  Bless  me !  she'll  be
thrown  ! '

While  Mr  Hazlehurst  was  speaking  they  had,  in  turning  a
corner,  come  suddenly  upon  a  wheelbarrow,  in  which  were
deposited  two  jackets  and  a  hat,  belonging  to  some  men  who
were  mending  the  road.     The  moment  Alice's  horse  caught


And  all  THAt  CAME  OF  IT  67

sight  of  this  object  it  stopped  short,  and  as,  in  obedience  to
her  father's  directions,  the  frightened  girl  jerked  the  curb-rein,
and  struck  the  animal  with  her  whip,  it  reared,  and  at  the  same
time  plunged  round  so  suddenly  as  to  unseat  its  rider.  Fortu-
nately, Coyerdale  had  kept  as  near  to  her  as  possible,  and  by  a
quick  motion  of  the  bridle-hand  and  touch  with  the  spur,  he
caused  his  horse  to  turn  at  the  same  moment  as  did  that  on
which  Alice  was  mounted ;  he  was  thus  enabled  to  pass  his
arm  round  her  waist  and  prevent  her  from  falling.
'Is  your  foot  clear  of  the  stirrup?'  he  inquired  hastily.
