perhaps, it would be too late to have it remedied. Whatever that

meant, it sufficed to make both Erik and his father uneasy. But,
on the other hand, it would be the worst policy possible, under

such circumstances, to refuse the invitation. For that would be
interpreted either as fear or as aristocratic exclusiveness; and

the captain, while he was new in the district, was as anxious to
avoid the appearance of the one as of the other. Accordingly he

accepted the invitation and on the appointed day rode with his
son into the wide yard of John Garvestad's farm, stopping at the

pump, where they watered their horses. It was early in the
afternoon, and both the house and the barn were thronged with

wedding-guests. From the sitting-room the strains of two fiddles
were heard, mingled with the scraping and stamping of heavy feet.

Another musicalperformance was in progress in the barn; and all
over the yard elderly men and youths were standing in smaller and

larger groups, smoking their pipes and tasting the beer-jugs,
which were passed from hand to hand. But the moment Lady Clare

was seen all interest in minor concerns ceased, and with one
accord the crowd moved toward her, completely encircling her, and

viewing her with admiring glances that appreciated all her
perfections.

"Did you ever see cleaner-shaped legs on a horse?" someone was
heard to say, and instantly" target="_blank" title="ad.立即，立刻">instantly his neighbor in the crowd joined the

chorus of praise, and added: "What a snap and spring there is in
every bend of her knee and turn of her neck and flash of her

eye!"
It was while this chorus of admiration was being sung in all keys

and tones of the whole gamut, that the bridegroom came out of the
house, a little bit tipsy, perhaps, from the many toasts he had

been obliged to drink, and bristling with pugnacity to the ends
of his fingers and the tips of his hair. Every word of praise

that he heard sounded in his ears like a jeer and an insult to
himself. With ruthless thrusts he elbowed his way through the

throng of guests and soon stood in front of the two horses, from
which the captain and Erik had not yet had a chance to dismount.

He returned their greeting with scant courtesy and plunged
instantly" target="_blank" title="ad.立即，立刻">instantly into the matter which he had on his mind.

"I reckon you have thought better of my offer by this time," he
said, with a surly swagger, to Erik. "What do you hold your mare

at to-day?"
"I thought we had settled that matter once for all," the boy

replied, quietly. "I have no more intention of selling Lady
Clare now than I ever had."

"Then will ye trade her off for Valders-Roan?" ejaculated
Garvestad, eagerly.

"No, I won't trade her for Valders-Roan or any other horse in
creation."

"Don't be cantankerous, now, young fellow, or you might repent of
it."

"I am not cantankerous. But I beg of you kindly to drop this
matter. I came here, at your invitation, as a guest at your

wedding, not for the purpose of trading horses."
It was an incautious speech, and was interpreted by everyone

present as a rebuke to the bridegroom for his violation of the
rules of hospitality. The captain, anxious to avoid a row,

therefore broke in, in a voice of friendly remonstrance: "My dear
Mr. Garvestad, do let us drop this matter. If you will permit

us, we should like to dismount and drink a toast to your health,
wishing you a long life and much happiness."

"Ah, yes, I understand your smooth palaver," the bridegroom
growled between his teeth. "I have stood your insolence long

enough, and, by jingo, I won't stand it much longer. What will
ye take for your mare, I say, or how much do you want to boot, if

you trade her for Valders-Roan?"
He shouted the last words with furiousemphasis, holding his

clinched fist up toward Erik, and glaring at him savagely.
But now Lady Clare, who became frightened perhaps by the loud

talk and violent gestures, began to rear and plunge, and by an
unforeseen motion knocked against the bridegroom, so that he fell

backward into the horse-trough under the pump, which was full of
water. The wedding-guests had hardly time to realize what was

happening when a great splash sent the water flying into their
faces, and the burly form of John Garvestad was seen sprawling

helplessly in the horse-trough. But then--then they realized it
with a vengeance. And a laugh went up--a veritable storm of

laughter--which swept through the entire crowd and re-echoed with
a ghostly hilarity from the mountains. John Garvestad in the

meanwhile had managed to pick himself out of the horse-trough,
and while he stood snorting, spitting, and dripping, Captain

Carstens and his son politely lifted their hats to him and rode
away. But as they trotted out of the gate they saw their host

stretch a big clinched fist toward them, and heard him scream
with hoarse fury: "I'll make ye smart for that some day, so help

me God!"
Lady Clare was not sent to the mountains in the summer, as are

nearly all horses in the Norwegian country districts. She was
left untethered in an enclosed home pasture about half a mile

from the mansion. Here she grazed, rolled, kicked up her heels,
and gambolled to her heart's content. During the long, bright

summer nights, when the sun scarcely dips beneath the horizon and
reappears in an hour, clothed in the breezy garments of morning,

she was permitted to frolic, race, and play all sorts of
improvised games with a shaggy, little, plebeian three-year-old

colt whom she had condescended to honor with her acquaintance.
This colt must have had some fine feeling under his rough coat,

for he never presumed in the least upon the acquaintance, being
perhaps aware of the honor it conferred upon him. He allowed

himself to be abused, ignored, or petted, as it might suit the
pleasure of her royal highness, with a patient, even-tempered

good-nature which was admirable. When Lady Clare (perhaps for
fear of making him conceited) took no notice of him, he showed

neither resentment nor surprise, but walked off with a sheepish
shake of his head. Thus he slowly learned the lesson to make no

exhibition of feeling at the sight of his superior; not to run up
and greet her with a disrespectfully joyous whinny; but calmly

wait for her to recognize him before appearing to be aware of her
presence. It took Lady Clare several months to accustom Shag

(for that was the colt's name) to her ways. She taught him
unconsciously the rudiments of good manners; but he proved

himself docile, and when he once had been reduced to his proper
place he proved a fairly acceptable companion.

During the first and second week after John Garvestad's wedding
Erik had kept Lady Clare stabled, having a vague fear that the

angry peasant might intend to do her harm. But she whinnied so
pitifully through the long light nights that finally he allowed

his compassion to get the better of his anxiety, and once more
she was seen racing madly about the field with Shag, whom she

always beat so ignominiously that she felt half sorry for him,
and as a consolation allowed him gently to claw her mane with his

teeth. This was a privilege which Shag could not fail to
appreciate, though she never offered to return the favor by

clawing him. At any rate, as soon as Lady Clare reappeared in
the meadow Shag's cup of bliss seemed to be full.

A week passed in this way, nothing happened, and Erik's vigilance
was relaxed. He went to bed on the evening of July 10th with an

easy mind, without the remotest apprehension of danger. The sun
set about ten o'clock, and Lady Clare and Shag greeted its last

departing rays with a whinny, accompanied by a wanton kickup from
the rear--for whatever Lady Clare did Shag felt in honor bound to

do, and was conscious of no disgrace in his abject and ape-like
imitation. They had spent an hour, perhaps, in such delightful

performances, when all of a sudden they were startled by a deep
bass whinny, which rumbled and shook like distant thunder. Then

came the tramp, tramp, tramp of heavy hoof-beats, which made the
ground tremble. Lady Clare lifted her beautiful head and looked

with fearlesscuriosity in the direction whence the sound came.
Shag, of course, did as nearly as he could exactly the same.

What they saw was a big roan horse with an enormousarched neck,
squat feet, and long-tasselled fetlocks.