in self defence was forced to fly towards the stables as the only place
of safety, having no leisure even to think that he was leaving his
brother amongst strangers, proving himself unable to withstand
temptation, even during one short hour of his visit. Marten, too, had
raised a war between himself and the young girls of the party, which was
not likely to be settled peacefully during the time of their stay at
Mrs. Jameson's, and thus he had, to a certain sense, separated himself
either from Reuben or from the bigger boys, without intending to do so
for the two parties, as might be foreseen by any experienced eye, were
of too different a sort to get on hourly together, as their tastes and
amusements were utterly at variance.

As my story is intended to shew that temptations hourly assail us, and
that in our own strength we cannot often resist them, else wherefore did
Our Lord teach his disciples to pray that they might not be led into
temptation, but because he knew that man of himself never turns away
from the forbidden fruit. I shall not here speak much of how after a
good run hither and thither, Marten at last found Edward and his
companions in an open field, most of the horses and dogs from the
stables being collected together, and such a scene of excitement going
on that the boy had no leisure to think of anything that was not passing
before his eye; and therefore, as Reuben did not appear, he, like the
rest being unseen, was forgotten. In excuse for Marten I must say that
he first ran to the stables, and there learnt from a boy whom he found
there, that Master Jameson had had permission that morning from his papa
to have out one or two of the horses and ponies, on condition that
Chambers, the old coachman, and Rogers, the groom, were present with the
young gentlemen, and that every obedience were paid to their directions,
so that if they saw anything wrong they might enforce attention to their
requests.