"I was afraid you might be.

They are not a bad set--the men, I mean--if you keep them off their hobbies; and we managed to do that, I think." "Yes, I noticed you managed them very well, sir," said Stafford.

"What a lovely night." They had reached a gate opening on to the road, and they stood and looked at the view in silence for a moment, listening to a nightingale, whose clear notes joined with the voices and laughter of the guests.
Suddenly another sound came upon the night air; a clatter of horses' hoofs and the rattle of wheels.
"Someone driving down the road," said Sir Stephen.
"And coming at a deuce of a pace!" said Stafford.

He opened the gate and looked up the road; then he uttered an ejaculation.
"By George! they've bolted!" he said, in his quiet way.
"What ?" asked Sir Stephen, as he, too, came out.

The carriage was tearing down the hill towards them in the moonlight, and Stafford saw that the horses were rushing along with lowered heads and that the driver had lost all control of them.
As they came towards the two men, Stafford set off running towards them.