His wrists were wrenched like pulleys, the resistance against him was hard as iron; but as he had risked life and limb in the leap which had seated him across the harnessed loins of the now terrified beast, so he risked them afresh to get the mastery now; to slacken them, turn them ever so slightly, and save the woman he loved--loved, at least in this hour, as he had not loved her before.

One moment more, while the half-maddened beast rushed through the shadows; one moment more, till the river stretched full before them in all its length and breadth, without a living thing upon its surface to break the still and awful calm; one moment--and the force of cool command conquered and broke their wills despite themselves.

The hunter knew his master's voice, his touch, his pressure, and slackened speed by an irresistible, almost unconscious habit of obedience; the carriage mare, checked and galled in the full height of her speed, stood erect, pawing the air with her forelegs, and flinging the white froth over her withers, while she plunged blindly in her nervous terror; then with a crash, her feet came down upon the ground, the broken harness shivered together with a sharp, metallic clash; snorting, panting, quivering, trembling, the pair stood passive and vanquished.
The carriage was overthrown; but the high and fearless courage of the peeress bore her unharmed, even as she was flung out on to the yielding fern-grown turf.

Fair as she was in every hour, she had never looked fairer than as he swung himself from the now powerless horses and threw himself beside her.
"My love--my love, you are saved!" The beautiful eyes looked up, half unconscious; the danger told on her now that it was passed, as it does most commonly with women.
"Saved!--lost! All the world must know, now, that you are with me this evening," she murmured with a shudder.

She lived for the world, and her first thought was of self.
He soothed her tenderly.
"Hush--be at rest! There is no injury but what I can repair, nor is there a creature in sight to have witnessed the accident.