The Major was senseless,--but they who understood what they were looking at were afraid that the case was very bad.

He was picked up and put on a door and within half an hour was on his bed in Rufford Hall.

But he did not speak for some hours and before six o'clock that evening the doctor from Rufford had declared that he had mounted his last horse and ridden his last hunt! "Oh Lord Rufford," said Arabella, "I shall never recover that.

I heard the horse's feet against his head." Lord Rufford shuddered and put his hand round her waist to support her.

At that time they were standing on the ground.