A A A A A A A A COMPACT. TELL you, William," said Thomas Buller to his friend Mr. Podington, "I am truly sorry about it, but I cannot arrange for it this year. Now, as to my invitation that is very different." "Of course it is different," was the reply, "but I am obliged to say, as I said before, that I really cannot accept it." Remarks similar to these had been made by Thomas Buller and William Podington at least once a year for some five years. They were old friends; they had been school-boys together and had been associated in business since they were young They had now reached a vigorous middle age; they were each married, and each had a house in the country in which he resided for a part of the year. They were warmly attached to each other, and each was the best friend which the other had in this world. But during all these years neither of them had visited the other in his country home. The reason for this avoidance of each other at their respective rural residences VOL. XXII.-24 Illustrated by Peter、 Newell. may be briefly stated. Mr. Buller's country house was situated by the sea, and he was very fond of the water. He had a good cat-boat, which he sailed himself with much judgment and skill, and it was his greatest pleasure to take his friends and visitors upon little excursions on the bay. But Mr. Podington was desperately afraid of the water, and he was particularly afraid of any craft sailed by an amateur. If his friend Buller would have employed a professional mariner, of years and experience, to steer and manage his boat, Podington might have been willing to take an occasional sail; but as Buller always insisted upon sailing his own boat, and took it ill if any of his visitors doubted his ability to do so properly, Podington did not wish to wound the self-love of his friend, and he did not wish to be drowned. Consequently he could not bring himself to consent to go to Buller's house by the sea. To receive his good friend Buller at his own house in the beautiful upland region in which he lived would have been a great joy to Mr. Podington; but Buller could not be induced to visit him. Podington was very fond of horses and al ways drove himself, while Buller was Therefore it was that he had not yet visited the beautiful upland country residence of Mr. Podington. At last this state of things grew awkward. Mrs. Buller and Mrs. Podington, often with their families, visited each other at their country houses, but the fact that on these occasions they were never accom beginning to look a little ridiculous, and people are talking about it." Mr. Podington put his hand to his brow and for a few moments closed his eyes. In his mind he saw a cat-boat upon its side, the sails spread out over the water, and two men, almost entirely immersed in the waves, making efforts to reach the side of the boat. One of these panied by their Mrs. Buller and Mrs. Podington, often with their families, visited each was getting on was very well-that Buller. The other seemed about to sink, his arms were use lessly waving in the air that was himself. But he opened his eyes and looked bravely out of the window; it was time to conquer all this; it was indeed growing ridiculous. Buller had been sailing many years and had never been up set. "Yes," said he, "I will do it; I am ready any time you name." Mr. Buller rose and stretched out his hand. "Good!" said he; it is a compact!" Buller was the first to make the promised country visit. He had not mentioned the subject of horses to his friend, but he knew through Mrs. Buller that Podington still continued to be his own driver. She had informed him, however, that at present he was accustomed to drive a big black horse which, in her opinion, was as gentle and reliable as these animals ever became, and she could not imagine how anybody could be afraid of him. So when, the next morning after his arrival, Mr. Buller was asked by his host if he would like to take a drive, he suppressed a certain rising emotion and said that it would please him very much. When the good black horse had jogged along a pleasant road for half an hour Mr. Buller began to feel that, perhaps, for all these years he had been laboring under a misconception. It seemed to be possible that there were some horses to which surrounding circumstances in the shape of sights and sounds were so irrelevant that they were to a certain degree entirely safe, even when guided and controlled by an amateur hand. As they passed some meadow-land, somebody behind a hedge fired a gun; Mr. Buller was frightened, but the horse was not. In "William," said Buller, looking cheerfully around him, "I had no idea that you lived in such a pretty country. fact, I might almost call it beautiful. You have not any wide stretch of water, such as I like so much, but here is a pretty river, those rolling hills are very charming, and, beyond, you have the blue of the mountains." "It is lovely," said his friend; "I never get tired of driving through this country. Of course the sea-side is very fine, but here we have such a variety of scenery." Mr. Buller could not help thinking that sometimes the sea-side was a little monotonous, and that he had lost a great deal of pleasure by not varying his summers by going up to spend a week or two with Podington. "William," said he, "how long have you had this horse?" "About two years," said Mr. Podington; "before I got him, I used to drive a pair." "Heavens!" thought Buller, "how lucky I was not to come two years ago!" And his regrets for not sooner visiting his friend greatly decreased. Now they came to a place where the stream, by which the road ran, had been dammed for a mill and had widened into a beautiful pond. He suppressed a certain rising emotion and said that it would please him very much.-Page 219. "There now!" cried Mr. Buller. "That's what I like. William, you seem to have everything! This is really a very pretty sheet of water, and the reflections of the trees over there make a charming picture; you can't get that at the sea-side, you know." Mr. Podington was delighted; his face glowed; he was rejoiced at the pleasure of his friend. "I tell you, Thomas," said he, "that "William!" exclaimed Buller, with a sudden squirm in his seat, "what is that I hear? Is that a train?" "he'll do what he is doing now; he doesn't mind trains." "But look here, William," exclaimed Buller, "it will get there just as we do; no horse could stand a roaring up in the air like that!" Podington laughed. "He would not mind it in the least," said he. "Come, come now," cried Buller. 66 Really, I can't stand this! Just stop a minute, William, and let me get out. It sets all my nerves quivering." Mr. Podington smiled with a superior smile. "Oh, you needn't get out," said he; "there's not the least danger in the world. But I don't want to make you nervous, and I will turn around and drive the other way." "But you can't!" screamed Buller; 66 this road is not wide and that train is nearly here. enough, "Just stop a minute, William, and let me get out." The imputation that the road was not wide enough for him to turn was too much for Mr. Podington to bear. He was very proud of his ability to turn a vehicle in a narrow place. "Turn!" said he; "that's the easiest thing in the world. See; a little to the right, then a back, then a sweep to the left and we will be going the other way." And instantly he began the manoeuvre in which he was such an adept. "Oh, Thomas!" cried Buller, half rising in his seat, "that train is almost here!". went over a bit of grass by the road and into the water. The sudden jolt gave a new impetus to Mr. Buller's fears. "You'll upset!" he cried, and not thinking of what he was about, he laid hold of his friend's arm. The horse, startled by this sudden jerk upon his bit, which, combined with the thundering of the train, which was now on the bridge, made him think that something extraordinary was about to happen, gave a sudden and forcible start backward, so that not only the hind wheels of the light wagon, but the fore wheels and his own hind legs went into the water. As the bank at this spot sloped steeply, the wagon continued to go backward, despite the efforts of the agitated horse to find a footing on the crumbling edge of the bank. "And we are almost-" Mr. Podington was about to say turned around," but he stopped. Mr. Buller's exclamations had made him a little nervous, and, in his anxiety to turn quickly, he had pulled upon his horse's bit with more energy than was actually necessary, and his nervousness being communicated to the horse, that animal backed with such extraordinary vigor, that the hind wheels of the wagon no effect upon the horse. The original bed 66 Whoa!" cried Mr. Buller. "Get up!" exclaimed Mr. Podington, applying his whip upon the plunging beast. But exclamations and castigations had |