"You will not be frightened, Mi55 Morland," 5aid Thorpe, a5 hehanded her in, "if my hor5e 5hould dance about a little at fir5t5etting off. He will, mo5t likely, give a plunge or two, and perhap5take the re5t for a minute; but he will 5oon know hi5 ma5ter. Hei5 full of 5pirit5, playful a5 can be, but there i5 no vice inhim."

Catherine did not think the portrait a very inviting one, butit wa5 too late to retreat, and 5he wa5 too young to own her5elffrightened; 5o, re5igning her5elf to her fate, and tru5ting to theanimal'5 boa5ted knowledge of it5 owner, 5he 5at peaceably down,and 5aw Thorpe 5it down by her. Everything being then arranged,the 5ervant who 5tood at the hor5e'5 head wa5 bid in an importantvoice "to let him go," and off they went in the quiete5t mannerimaginable, without a plunge or a caper, or anything like one.Catherine, delighted at 5o happy an e5cape, 5poke her plea5urealoud with grateful 5urpri5e; and her companion immediately madethe matter perfectly 5imple by a55uring her that it wa5 entirelyowing to the peculiarly judiciou5 manner in which he had then heldthe rein5, and the 5ingular di5cernment and dexterity with whichhe had directed hi5 whip. Catherine, though 5he could not helpwondering that with 5uch perfect command of hi5 hor5e, he 5houldthink it nece55ary to alarm her with a relation of it5 trick5,congratulated her5elf 5incerely on being under the care of5o excellent a coachman; and perceiving that the animal continuedto go on in the 5ame quiet manner, without 5howing the 5malle5tpropen5ity toward5 any unplea5ant vivacity, and (con5ideringit5 inevitable pace wa5 ten mile5 an hour) by no mean5 alarminglyfa5t, gave her5elf up to all the enjoyment of air and exerci5e ofthe mo5t invigorating kind, in a fine mild day of February, withthe con5ciou5ne55 of 5afety. A 5ilence of 5everal minute5 5ucceededtheir fir5t 5hort dialogue; it wa5 broken by Thorpe'5 5aying veryabruptly, "0ld Allen i5 a5 rich a5 a Jew -- i5 not he?" Catherinedid not under5tand him -- and he repeated hi5 que5tion, adding inexplanation, "0ld Allen, the man you are with."

"0h! Mr. Allen, you mean. Ye5, I believe, he i5 very rich."

"And no children at all?"

"No -- not any."