Then, I suppose, you can neither give a ball, nor a mash, nor a horn!" "I confess I trust all these matters to an ostler, or to my groom." "Incredible carelessness!--And you cannot shoe a horse, or cut his mane and tail; or worm a dog, or crop his ears, or cut his dew-claws; or reclaim a hawk, or give him his casting-stones, or direct his diet when he is sealed; or"-- "To sum up my insignificance in one word," replied I, "I am profoundly ignorant in all these rural accomplishments." "Then, in the name of Heaven, Mr.Francis Osbaldistone, what _can_ you do ?" "Very little to the purpose, Miss Vernon; something, however, I can pretend to--When my groom has dressed my horse I can ride him, and when my hawk is in the field, I can fly him." "Can you do this ?" said the young lady, putting her horse to a canter.
There was a sort of rude overgrown fence crossed the path before us, with a gate composed of pieces of wood rough from the forest; I was about to move forward to open it, when Miss Vernon cleared the obstruction at a flying leap.

I was bound in point of honour to follow, and was in a moment again at her side.

"There are hopes of you yet," she said.

"I was afraid you had been a very degenerate Osbaldistone.

But what on earth brings you to Cub-Castle ?--for so the neighbours have christened this hunting-hall of ours.