any one. The one who might have noticed it most, Mrs. Jarrold, had
died during the last year of Harold's life at college.

When the day came for the quarterly meeting of the magistrates of the
county of Norcester, Squire Rowly arranged as usual to drive Squire
Norman. This had been their habit for good many years. The two men
usually liked to talk over the meeting as they returned home
together. It was a beautiful morning for a drive, and when Rowly
came flying up the avenue in his T-cart with three magnificent bays,
Stephen ran out on the top of the steps to see him draw up. Rowly
was a fine whip, and his horses felt it. Squire Norman was ready,
and, after a kiss from Stephen, climbed into the high cart. The men
raised their hats and waved good-bye. A word from Rowly; with a
bound the horses were off. Stephen stood looking at them delighted;
all was so sunny, so bright, so happy. The world was so full of life
and happiness to-day that it seemed as if it would never end; that
nothing except good could befall.

Harold, later on that morning, was to go into Norcester also; so
Stephen with a lonely day before her set herself to take up loose-
ends of all sorts of little personal matters. They would all meet at
dinner as Rowly was to stop the night at Normanstand.

Harold left the club in good time to ride home to dinner. As he
passed the County Hotel he stopped to ask if Squire Norman had left;
and was told that he had started only a short time before with Squire
Rowly in his T-cart. He rode on fast, thinking that perhaps he might
overtake them and ride on with them. But the bays knew their work,
and did it. They kept their start; it was only at the top of the
North hill, five miles out of Norcester, that he saw them in the