said Ursula. ‘Why make her stand all that time at the crossing? You might just as well have ridden back up the road, and saved all that horror. Her sides were bleeding where you had spurred her. It was too horrible — !’

Gerald stiffened.

‘I have to use her,’ he replied. ‘And if I’m going to be sure of her at ALL, she’ll have to learn to stand noises.’

‘Why should she?’ cried Ursula in a passion. ‘She is a living creature, why should she stand anything, just because you choose to make her? She has as much right to her own being, as you have to yours.’

‘There I disagree,’ said Gerald. ‘I consider that mare is there for my use.