Having looked round about, they were intending to re-enter the copse when a fox quietly emerged with a dragging brush, trotted past them tamely as a domestic cat, and disappeared amid some dead fern.

They walked on, her father merely observing, after watching the animal, "They are hunting somewhere near." Farther up they saw in the mid-distance the hounds running hither and thither, as if there were little or no scent that day.

Soon divers members of the hunt appeared on the scene, and it was evident from their movements that the chase had been stultified by general puzzle-headedness as to the whereabouts of the intended victim.

In a minute a farmer rode up to the two pedestrians, panting with acteonic excitement, and Grace being a few steps in advance, he addressed her, asking if she had seen the fox.
"Yes," said she.

"We saw him some time ago--just out there." "Did you cry Halloo ?" "We said nothing." "Then why the d---- didn't you, or get the old buffer to do it for you ?" said the man, as he cantered away.
She looked rather disconcerted at this reply, and observing her father's face, saw that it was quite red.
"He ought not to have spoken to ye like that!" said the old man, in the tone of one whose heart was bruised, though it was not by the epithet applied to himself.