He had fished out a length of old net from his stores, and turned it to great account.

He had draped it in folds over Gray Robin's broad flanks, and brought it round his chest, and wherever the threads would hold a stem he had stuck in red and white and yellow roses, and had tied bunches of them at his ears and along his bridle, so that the steady old horse looked like an ancient charger in his armour.
And as I watched him examining into all these things I could see his wonder grow, and he asked himself what, in the name of Hay, his friends and acquaintances would think of it all when they saw him, and he snuffled with disgust.
It was close upon six o'clock when Gray Robin pricked up his ears at sound of hoofs in the lane between the high hedges, and young Torode rode up on Black Boy.

He drew rein sharply at sight of me, and a curse jerked out of him.

And at sight of Gray Robin in his gay trappings, Black Boy danced on his hind legs and pretended to be frightened out of his wits.
Torode brought him to reason with a violent hand, and flung himself off with a black face.
"How then, Carre ?" he broke out.

"Mademoiselle promised to ride with me to-day." "And with me also.