I have now before my eyes one who was pretty,brave,and a good horse-woman;but how men did hate her!When you were in a line with her there was no shaking her off.Indeed,you were like enough to be shaken off yourself,and to be rid of her after that fashion.But while you were with her you never escaped her at a single fence,and always felt that you were held to be trespassing against her in some manner.I shall never forget her voice,"Pray,take care of that gate."And yet it was a pretty voice,and elsewhere she was not given to domineering more than is common to pretty women in general;but she had been taught badly from the beginning,and she was a pest.It was the same at every gap."Might I ask you not to come too near me ?"And yet it was impossible to escape her.Men could not ride wide of her,for she would not ride wide of them.She had always some male escort with her,who did not ride as she rode,and consequently,as she chose to have the advantage of an escort,of various escorts,she was always in the company of some who did not feel as much joy in the presence of a pretty young woman as men should do under all circumstances."Might I ask you not to come too near me?"If she could only have heard the remarks to which this constant little request of hers gave rise.She is now the mother of children,and her hunting days are gone,and probably she never makes that little request.Doubtless that look,made up partly of offence and partly of female dignity,no longer clouds her brow.But Ifancy that they who knew her of old in the hunting field never approach her now without fancying that they hear those reproachful words,and see that powerful look of injured feminine weakness.
But there is the hunting lady who rides hard and never asks for assistance.Perhaps I may be allowed to explain to embryo Dianas,to the growing huntresses of the present age,that she who rides and makes no demand receives attention as close as is ever given to her more imperious sister.And how welcome she is !
What a grace she lends to the day's sport!How pleasant it is to see her in her pride of place,achieving her mastery over the difficulties in her way by her own wit,as all men,and all women also,must really do who intend to ride to hounds;and doing it all without any sign that the difficulties are too great for her!