The grooms an'
all spoke up to Mr. Barradine's knowledge of his ridin' gen'rally; but
it stands to reason, when you're past sixty your grip on a horse isn't
the same thing as what it once was. Say, your mount gets bounding this
way, that way;" and with his body and hands he indicated the rapid
lateral movements of a horse shying and plunging. "Well, it's only the
grip that can save you. You aren't going to keep in your saddle by
mere balance--and it's balance that old gentlemen rely on best part
of the time."
Mavis listened wonderingly and admiringly. When her husband spoke of
the dead man, his voice was grave, calm and kindly. No one on earth
could have detected that while the man lived, he had been regarded
with anything but affection. She thought of that epithet that people
so often echo--Death the Leveler. Could one hope that already,
although Will might not know it, might not be willing to know it,
death had taken from him all or nearly all of his anger and
resentment? If it was only just acting--the stubborn effort to keep up
appearances--it was marvelous. Then she sighed. She had remembered
that Will never did things by halves.
She felt almost gay, certainly quite light-hearted, when driving out
with him to the funeral.
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