A bed of moss set about flowers in a basket under him breathed to his nostril of the woodland keenly, and filled him with delirious longing.
A succession of hard sighs brought his father's hand on his shoulder.
"You have nothing you could say to me, my son?
Tell me, Richard! Remember, there is no home for the soul where dwells a shadow of untruth!" "Nothing at all, sir," the young man replied, meeting him with the full orbs of his eyes.
The baronet withdrew his hand, and paced the room.
At last it grew impossible for Richard to control his impatience, and he said: "Do you intend me to stay here, sir?
Am I not to return to Raynham at all to-night ?" His father was again falsely jocular: "What?
and catch the train after giving it ten minutes' start ?" "Cassandra will take me," said the young man earnestly.

"I needn't ride her hard, sir.

Or perhaps you would lend me your Winkelried?
I should be down with him in little better than three hours." "Even then, you know, the park-gates would be locked." "Well, I could stable him in the village.

Dowling knows the horse, and would treat him properly.

May I have him, sir ?" The cloud cleared off Richard's face as he asked.